


Bumps on the Road

by blzter14



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Development, Conflict Resolution, Explicit Lime, F/M, Family, Happy Ending, Internal Conflict, Wholesome Plot, couples therapy, marriage problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-11-15 14:30:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18075173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blzter14/pseuds/blzter14
Summary: Noctis and Luna have been happily married for 10 whole years but have found themselves stuck in a rut.They had been arguing and mostly ignoring the other, emotions boiling over until they couldn't take it anymore.In a final effort to avoid the dreaded path of divorce, Noctis and Luna mutually decide to take matters into their own hands to save their marriage and seek professional help.





	1. Chapter 1

Noctis and Luna sat on the leather couch, visibly uncomfortable being in close proximity with each other and unnaturally quiet.

They had been married for a good ten years and have been nothing but the picture of an ideal marriage for a couple who married young.

So why were they acting so cold to each other now? What had transpired between them that would merit a visit to a marriage counselor?

The morning sun beams brightly through the windows before the blinds are gently lowered to avoid any glare, the heavy noise of traffic for the morning commute ringing outside on the nearby freeway.

The therapist himself seemed to have just arrived as well, wearing relatively simple clothing: Black jacket, a button up shirt and slacks with dress shoes.

“Apologies for my tardiness, traffic is unbelievable. I hope you haven’t been waiting long and that your needs have been seen to by my assistant?” He hurriedly composes himself and sifts through a small stack of folders, finding one with their names before sitting down on the armchair adjacent to them.

A small grunt comes out of Noctis, crossing his arms and leaning further into the couch. “Everything’s just fine.”

Luna has a melancholic tone in her voice as opposed to her husband’s sarcastic and almost terse one. “It could be better but otherwise alright.”

The therapist nodded, taking note of their intonation and demeanor. They were willing to speak forwardly at the very least and had not resorted to snapping at the other right at the start.

“Alright, is there anything I can get you both; Coffee or tea?” The therapist went through the motions, trying to establish a tranquil atmosphere in his clinic.

It was their first session; he wasn’t expecting things to magically pop back into place. It never happens like that but he would try his best to start early.

The two politely decline, taking a few moments to relax before focusing their attention to the professional in front of them.

There is a quiet rendition of the nutcracker suite that comes on in the speakers to further add to the ambiance, much to the delight of the woman as she visibly relaxes all things considered.

“All good?” The response is a simple nod and he takes it as a cue to continue. “Let us start off with proper introductions. I am Dr. Reseda*, 32 years old and I will be your therapist. I am hoping that we could have a productive working relationship starting today.”

He gestures a hand for Noctis to make his own introduction causing the man to scratch his cheek.

“I’m Noctis Caelum, thirty years old and working as a management officer for the LUCIS consultation firm. Not too big a position sure but it pays nice enough. I’ve been in this marriage for ten years, in this relationship for thirteen.” he said with simple directness.

Luna crosses one leg over the other before patting down her skirt below her knees. “Good morning Dr. Reseda. My name is Lunafreya Caelum, thirty four years old and working as the head nurse for the ICU in Oracle District Hospital. I’ve been... married for ten years and have been in this relationship for thirteen years.”

There is a sullen look in her eyes as her voice quivered mid-sentence before returning to the level and monotone expression on her face.

Noctis catches the subtle nuance in her speech as well, giving her a sideways glance but says nothing.

“It is nice to meet both of you. Now first and foremost; I just want to let the both of you know that by coming here together you have already taken a step forward towards reconciling with each other. Doing this is a sign that both of you are still very committed to finding the right solutions together.”

He had both of their attention right there. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so difficult after all?

“Most couples decide to go separately and some sadly, decide not to pursue therapy anymore and just give up.” He adds, hoping that it would somehow spark a bit of conversation but all he got was something akin to mildly-surprised expressions with a hint of discomfort.

Silence fills the room for a solid minute as Dr. Reseda flips through their folder and brings out a clipboard with a sheet of paper similar to what an interviewer would have.

“Now, could Mrs. Caelum please tell me what she thinks is the biggest problem is? Try to picture what particular aspect of your married life is causing you the most pain at the moment.” He clicks his pen and readies himself to take notes.

Luna folds her hands on her lap, moving her gaze at the beige carpet. “I feel Noctis cannot see how difficult it truly is to constantly teeter and balance work and home. As a nurse, I find that I am able to do what I love whilst being able to help provide for the both of us. It should be the ideal situation in hindsight. I’ve always wanted to become a nurse and help people and at the same time, give my all to secure a comfortable life for the both of us without worry.”

The leather material of the couch creaks as Noctis fidgets uncomfortably due to the somber tone she took pertaining to her point of view. This was the first time since they had begun openly bickering that her tone of voice had been more reserved rather than loud when talking about their problems.

He wanted to say something as well but wished to respect the process and let her continue, listening whilst staring at the bookshelf on the other side of the room.

“Oftentimes I come home drained and spent; emotionally and physically. These things are expected and I made sure to remind him constantly of this as soon as I secured this position a few years ago and it doesn’t seem to feel enough to satisfy his expectations.” She finishes, letting out a breath to calm her pulse.

Recalling the hurtful words they’ve thrown at each other during tense nights after a particularly long and grueling shift made her heart ache but she was working hard for this marriage the same way he was. She was not about to buck down so easily.

“I spend as much time as I can with my husband.” Luna continues, looking up to Dr. Reseda as he writes down as much as he could. “I cannot see any reason why he feels the need to berate me about being too distant when I constantly attempt to be with him when I can, giving my all just so we can both live happy lives.”

She peels off two pieces of tissue from the box on the table in front of them to dab at her eyes. She felt like she aired her grievance as clear as she could without having another emotional breakdown.

Dr. Reseda continues writing for a few more moments before finishing, nodding his head in recognition. “I would ask Mr. Caelum to do the same. The first step to fixing any kind of problem is to first recognize it.” He offers Noctis a smile, encouraging him to speak.

“For me, Luna feels like she cares more about her job than our marriage. I’m not asking for much from her, is it really so bad for a husband to hope that he could spend even just a few meaningful moments with his wife after a long day at work?”

He was tapping his foot in a regular rhythm, trying to calm himself down. “The last time we had dinner together was last week and even then it felt empty while our last date was last week and that got cut short due to an emergency. I spent the next few hours waiting in the hospital’s lounge before we got to go home.”

Luna closes her eyes, a small pained expression on her face as she listens to him speak. She chooses to stare at something else entirely once she opens her eyes again, anything but her husband.

He leans back on the couch and looks up at the ceiling, blowing strands of hair from his face. “It feels like she’s got so much to give to her work and none for me anymore.”

“Yes, I see. Thank you both for relaying your points in a clear and calm manner.” He acknowledged, finishing his notes.

“Now that we’ve addressed the biggest problems that the both of you are going through, let me ask you this: What do you think is a good middle ground? A compromise would be the ideal solution.” He inquired.

The beleaguered couple thinks for a bit before Noctis elects to go first.

“I’d be more understanding if she would communicate with me more instead of just assuming that I would understand all on my own. I feel alone and-”

“You’re my husband! Surely you understand by now that I cannot always be at your side when you feel neglected. It is painful for me to constantly be away from you but what I am doing is for our marriage, our life together!” She objected, giving him an aching look, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. She knew an argument was bound to erupt at any second.

Luna could not take it anymore and voiced how she felt with how Noctis described his problem with her.

Noctis was a very emotional individual and would no doubt feel insulted. This is the exact same reasoning she has repeated to him countless times but she just didn’t understand.

“See? That there is the problem! Just because I’m your husband doesn’t mean I’m supposed to understand how you feel without any clear signs! This isn’t one of those novels you love to read! And touch starved? Is that how you see my requests for some simple conversation at our living room? Just a short cuddle or even when we go to bed! Even when we do talk it sounds like you don’t care! There’s no emotion!”

“I feel lost Noctis! I don’t know what else to say!”

He let out a growl of frustration, trying to keep his temper in check as he rubs his palms on his pant legs. “I never asked for you to be a slave to your work just so we can have a bit more on the table.”

The conversation had taken a turn for the worse and the couple were in an all-out argument right in front of him.

“Alright please! Settle down! We’ve got a long road ahead of us so please, it’d do well to co-operate with each other and lend the other their ear. This is an opportunity for you to hear your partner’s side and propose a compromise that you can both work towards, together as husband and wife.” He pleaded

Noctis and Luna end the confrontation, the room quiet once more.

Dr. Reseda stands up and fills two glasses of cold water to give to them before returning to his armchair.“Mr. Caelum, was there any more to your proposed solution?”

“That’s all really.” He mutters. “Better communication so I can understand better.”

The therapist writes that down in a separate section of the paper, giving the both of them time to drink and rehydrate before turning his attention to Luna, prompting her to offer her solution.

“I am in agreement with my husband’s proposal. Clearer lines of communication would help greatly, particularly for my need to understand our situation better.”

It was a short response but one that Dr. Reseda understood perfectly.

She had emptied her glass of water in her attempts to sooth her pulse and her heart. It was clear she was confused and ailing while the other felt hurt and neglected.

“About the only thing you’ve agreed with me in recent history.” He pointed out, feeling the need to jab at his wife with painful remarks such as this. He surprised even himself but did not want to disclose that to either individual in the room.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he notes that their session was fast approaching its end and decides to wrap things up while he could.

“We’ve made some progress today. Both of you recognized which aspects of your married life are unfavorable at this very moment and have even agreed on a common solution. We will go into more detail at the next session but the healing process has begun.”

Dr. Reseda peels off the two sheets of paper he used as notes for interview and gave one to each.

“I encourage the both of you to read through the notes I have taken down and try to commit yourself into the role of your partner in your heads. Step in their shoes and try to understand where they’re coming from.”

Both Noctis and Luna pore through the detailed notes spanning from top to bottom.

“You don’t have to rush it so you have something by our next session next week. It’s important to let this sink in to your core. Feel it in your heart. Who knows, you might just make your relationship that much stronger in the end and that would be the best outcome don’t you think?”

He doesn’t get any vocal response but he can see it in the couple’s eyes that they wholeheartedly agreed with his optimistic outlook.

“Be kind to each other. Marriage is such a beautiful thing, especially for one that has lasted the both of you this long. Remember what I asked of you and I’ll see you both at our next session. Have a good day Mr. and Mrs. Caelum.”

Dr. Reseda stands up along with the couple and shakes their hand before escorting them out of his office.

He looks through the carbon paper copy of his notes, sitting down at his desk and looking through their folder again.

This married couple was the farthest from a divorce but he knew better than to gamble with those kinds of odds. These two just seemed to be misguided and confused and he was determined to help them patch things up.

The smallest of arguments could open up tons of problems if not addressed properly and has often been the cause for relationships, including marriages, falling apart.

He let out a tired sigh before taking a sip of the coffee he had brought in; already stale inside its plastic cup while he waited for his next client to come through the door.

* * *

 

The car ride back home was silent, not even the radio was turned on and the silence was driving him mad.

He gripped the leather material of his steering wheel tightly, his emotions still raw from their first therapy session.

Dr. Reseda was very positive about it, insisting that we’ve made progress but it didn’t feel like any sort of accomplishment whatsoever.

They had gotten into another shouting match and he had seen her eyes glisten with tears once more.

It pained him to be the source of those tears. He swore to protect her and here he was hurting her.

He shook his head, his stubbornness and callousness born from his overly-emotional morning winning him over for now.

She had vowed to give him all the time in that her job permitted to but it wasn’t enough. It didn’t feel like any legitimate effort was being made on her behalf.

He was angry, he felt betrayed but most of all, he was afraid.

Afraid that the spark of their love had been snuffed, dulled by two and a half years’ worth of pent up frustration.

Taking an abrupt look at her once they were are a stoplight, he saw her staring outside.

She was never this quiet, even as things had started to deteriorate rapidly for the both of them. He could see a hint of her reflection.

Luna wore a pensive expression, dried tear streaks down her freckled cheeks while her gaze appeared distant.

The notes that Dr. Reseda had requested for them to take home and study lay on her lap, unmoved since they had left the clinic.

It has been a long journey for the both of them but he’d be damned if he was going to let it end because of this.

He was determined to fix this and he sorely hoped that she held the same passion in her heart just as she did when she had asked him out all those years ago.

Visiting the marriage therapist may have just ignited a fire in him that he hasn’t felt in a long while.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Noctis was currently in the middle of a conversation with Dr. Reseda as they waited for Luna to join them after an extended shift due to the accident at 15th avenue that happened last night.

“Things are good at LUCIS? I might actually have to inquire about some of your services with management consultation.” Dr. Reseda stated, tapping his pen on his armrest.

“Oh? What about? Maybe I could help. Is it about your current office?”

“In a manner of speaking yes, you see I was planning on putting up another clinic to make my services that much more accessible-“

Their discussion was interrupted as the door opens, Lunafreya peeking in and apologizing as she makes her way to sit down beside Noctis.

She looked worse for wear, apparent that she had come here straight from the hospital. Her hair was a tad disheveled, tied up in a loose pony. Her eyes looked dull and her entire figure just seemed to sag due to fatigue.

Dr. Reseda stands up and fills a glass of water before placing it on the table, returning to his armchair. “It’s perfectly understandable Mrs. Caelum. It was a very unfortunate accident and I can only extend my well wishes to your charges.”

She finishes the glass, letting out a breath of satisfaction before trying her best to fix herself as much as she could.

“Thank you kindly Dr. Reseda, the concern is well appreciated.”

Noctis felt uncomfortable with how ragged her appearance was. This is what she almost always looked and sounded like when coming home from the emergency room; hurried and tired.

It reminded him of why they were here in the first place but he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He pushed away the feeling of pain in his heart as he recalls the gradual degradation of their nights and focused on restoring that lost warmth.

“Then let’s get started shall we? Welcome to your third session. I hope things have been somewhat well between the two of you?” he asks, opening up their folder and pulling out some instructional papers for their activity.

Noctis answers first, giving his wife a bit more time to relax and organize herself. “You could say that. Luna and I have tried some of the exercises that you recommended.”

“Which particular ones have you tried? How did you feel afterwards?” he asks, setting the folder aside on the table.

“We tried doing some planning exercises as you asked; to try and find something that the both of us could brainstorm and work together on. I was happy in that moment. We managed to plan a few dates and have begun planning on a vacation soon.” He finished, lips curling up slightly at the edges.

It was the first time in months that he’d hear some excitement in her voice when speaking with him.

That was the extent of it, an isolated case. They had immediately withdrawn back to their own devices afterwards and had devolved back to their usual cycle of ignoring the other once they got home.

The exercise was a good stepping stone but it definitely wasn’t a long term solution. They were still stuck in a rut and that simply wasn’t enough for him.

Dr. Reseda gives him a smile. “That’s very nice to hear and I’m glad the exercise managed to bring some modicum of comfort and joy.”

Luna looked over and met Noctis’ gaze, sensing the same feeling of discomfort in his eyes every time she had tried to converse with him despite her own fatigue begging for her to rest before he looks away.

She was well aware that it hurt him dearly. It was a far cry from what their arrangements were the first time they moved in together and she was only serving as a nurse for the pediatrician’s ward.

Luna understood the way he ached for intimacy with her but she was doing all she could from breaking down herself. She was working to fulfill her dream of living a comfortable life with Noctis, free from worry of them ending up with less than ideal living conditions.

She was deathly afraid of the idea that they would fall under hard times financially and as a result, opted to give her all to her job at the painful expense of time spent and the emotional connection that burned brightly before.

Noctis’ position left much to be desired in the way of compensation. The company was doing him a disservice despite the stellar track record he has and until conditions improved, and it likely would not for quite a while with their corporate ladder, she would have to shoulder the brunt of the finances.

That simply meant more time sacrificed and she hated it as just as he did; only he vilified it to a greater extent.

She is shaken from her thoughts as Dr. Reseda was waving his hand in front of her face, calling for her.

So lost in her own thoughts the she had briefly spaced out amidst their session. She had lost track of time as well and had no idea how long it’s been since Noctis had told their therapist about the exercise.

Dr. Reseda gives her a look of concern. “If now is a bad time, we can always reschedule Mrs. Caelum.”

“No, it’s fine. Please, let us resume.”

He looks to her husband for confirmation to which he simply nods, voice caught in his own throat at the moment.

“If you’re absolutely sure then alright, we will continue. As I had been discussing earlier, we’ll be doing some exercises today. If you’re wondering about the worksheets that we worked on last week, they will be relevant at the end of our counseling so sit tight and try not to dwell too much on what you wrote.”

It had been some sort of relationship growth worksheet with questions testing their knowledge about their partners as well as their goals together as a married couple.

Dr. Reseda had withheld this information for good reason but they would viewing the same worksheet at the end of their therapy, each partner being handed their opposite’s as some sort of reflection, a way to look back at things before moving forward.

“For the first half of our session today we’ll be doing an exercise that involves inner peace. I’ll try my best to set the office up so that the both of you can concentrate on the other. I need the both of you to sit across from one another.” he stated.

The table would be pulled by Dr. Reseda and afterwards, two armchairs moved to face one another. Noctis and Luna take their seats and turn their attention to their therapist for further instruction.

“Next I need you to move closer such that your knees are barely touching.” He nodded as the both of them move the armchairs closer as instructed.  “Finally, I want you two to look at each other in the eye. This is what we call Soul Gazing. It’s not a staring contest, you can blink but you have to keep your focus solely fixed on your partner’s eyes.”

Luna kept her hands firmly planted on her lap, moving her gaze over to her husband’s eyes once the final instructions were given with Noctis following suit.

Blue met blue and a somewhat comfortable silence followed.

“I’ll be giving the both of you at least three to five minutes. No talking, just simply gaze; reflect, search.” He finishes, sitting back and starting a timer on his cellphone. He would go through his notes once more while waiting for time to pass.

Luna would be the first to admit; this felt _extremely_ awkward. Staring into her husband’s eyes like this without much context other than your therapist asked you to really make her uneasy but even more so was the sadness swimming in those orbs.

It made her heart ache to think that it was because of her or rather, what he saw of her at the moment. Those blue eyes that once glowed, so full of joy and love were now filled with grief and heartache and it made her want to tear her gaze away.

It hurt.

There was no other way to describe the feeling of longing for the same richness of emotion that once were housed in his eyes and yet finding none of that, replaced with such frigid tones and depressing hues of blue.

Oh how she wish she could just return to being a regular nurse but she couldn’t. If she wished to bring them both the life that she wanted envisioned having then she would have to somehow make this work to stop the gaping wound in their marriage and their relationship.

Noctis hated this and not for reasons common between bickering couples.

He hated staring into her eyes like this because they had lost so much of their spark and brightness.

They were murky now, dulled by endless hours of working. The love in her gaze that could hold him in place and make him a blubbering mess was gone.

Her eyes were much the same as his; a brilliant, sparkling tone of blue.

Within her eyes, he thought, held hope, love and passion. Those were three things that he found that he always saw whenever he gazed into them and it made his heart swell and become erratic.

Such was the strength in her eyes alone and yet now they were exhausted and nothing but. Even the way she was looking at his eyes right now only felt like a necessity.

His heart lurched at the thought. All he wanted was to have that same look in her eyes the same day they exchanged vows, to hear the cheer in her voice when they talk. If he could just have that then he would be happy to let her be with her job as it is but as things stand as they are now, he knew he had to aim higher.

The minutes ticked by with neither of the couple feeling any better, only searching for whatever lost spark there was in each of their eyes instead of seeing who it was in front of them at this moment.

In that short amount of time, it was just them and nothing else mattered. If they truly were gazing into the soul of their partner then they were farther gone than they initially thought. They were lost

They are shaken from their thoughts as Dr. Reseda’s alarm goes off and the exercise finishes.

“Alright, that’s the Soul Gazing exercise done. Now we reflect. I would like for Mrs. Caelum to start. Could you describe what you saw in your husband’s eyes?” he asked, pulling up a spare notepad to write down observations.

Luna found herself running a hand down her cheek, feeling herself shiver before speaking. “I saw a man in mourning, someone whose sorrow is so great that the light in his eyes has dimmed. I spent those five minutes searching for the spark in his eyes that held that boyish charm. I searched for the loving warmth they held for me but only felt it icy. I looked for those caring eyes but could not find them.”

Her tone was distraught, whether it was fueled by desperation or her own fatigue; she was well and truly upset. She took the glass and emptied its contents before shakily putting it back down, tears welling up in the corners of her own eyes while she rubbed her shoulders, seeking some sort of warmth.

Noctis gripped the sides of his armchair hard, his jaw hardened and he looked like he just wanted to bolt out of the office. Her words horrified him and only served to feed the cold ache in his heart.

He was still the same man! Who had his wife just described? He dearly wanted to ask her if that is what she truly saw in his eyes, if that is how she saw him as this stranger that she had just described but before he could, Dr. Reseda calls his attention.

“We would like to hear your observations now Mr. Caelum; when you are ready of course.”

He lets go of the armrest and presses his hands together, looking up meekly at Luna who had calmed down by now but was not making eye contact with him.

“What I saw was a woman who is perpetually tired, her emotions having been sucked out of her due to the stress of her work. Those eyes felt like they belonged to a woman who had become almost lifeless. Those five minutes felt like an eternity as I searched for any spark of the passion she once held.” He trails of before closing his eyes and softly shaking his head.

Luna listened to him recount how he saw her now, her lip quivering again as she tried to hold back a second wave of tears. Noctis thought of her dispassionate? She was by far the opposite. She felt the need to rebut that the reason she was making all these sacrifices was she **that** much passionate about her goal of providing a comfortable life for the both of them.

Dr. Reseda finished with a bit of a solemn nod. “Thank you for participating in that short exercise and for sharing your sincere opinion. This will be a repeating exercise so expect this to pop up in one of our future sessions and hopefully, we come up with more positive results as we go.”

Both of them nod their heads in agreement. They did want a redo with positive results. Hearing their significant other say such disheartening things about what was supposed to be gazing into the windows of your partner’s soul was taxing on their emotions and Dr. Reseda was aware of this.

“We’ll be ending today’s session a bit earlier seeing as you’re both quite tired but before we do, I would like to ask you both to do one more exercise. Don’t worry, this doesn’t involve much thinking. It’s pretty simple.” He gestures with his hands for the couple to move closer, pushing their chairs towards the other even further before stopping.

“This is a simple breathing exercise. You just need to connect your foreheads together and take seven deep breaths together. If you feel comfortable enough with your partner, you can prolong this for as long as you want to but I want the both of you to be comfortable. Today was a rough session and I don’t want to send the both of you home on a bad note.”

Luna was hesitant to do so and it broke Noctis to see her so vulnerable. He gently reached out, causing her to flinch.

“It’s alright Luna.” He whispers to her.

Her quivering gaze meets his before she closes them gently, letting him place his hands on either side of her cheek.

He gingerly pulls her towards him as he meets her half-way to press their foreheads together. He felt this ticklish, tingling sensation where their faces met, his heart beating fast in his chest.

“Now, breathe with me.”

They completely miss the timing of their first few breaths but soon come to synch and by the time the exhaled for their seventh, he did not pull away.

This was the most intimate he’s been with her in so long that letting go now was a very hard thing to do. He felt moisture slip down her cheeks and knew that he had to.

She wasn’t ready yet and it pained him to find out this way.

Gently, he let her face go and settled back on his seat, letting her dab her cheeks with a spare tissue while Dr. Reseda gave them their assignments for this week. He listened and made sure to remember but his gaze was fixed on her sorrow-ridden expression.

They needed to keep going, no matter how long it took.

* * *

 

Noctis let her sleep as soon as they got home. She had become unresponsive on the ride home and he honestly couldn’t blame her.

He put his keys in the cupboard before fixing himself a cup of Ebony.

Today’s session had been rough. He felt like there had been some progress made in that they recognize and told the other what they saw and thought.

It honestly still horrifies him how foreign he sounded in his own wife’s description. Had he really been that horrible?

The way she trembled at his request for a simple touch, it just hammered the point home that Luna felt like she didn’t know him anymore and it broke him to bits.

Noctis feels the familiar sting of tears forming at the corner of his eyes but closes them tight. He refused to shed any more tears. No more would he simply sit there and let his emotions overcome him.

It was a massive disservice to their wedding vows if he simply sat idly by and hoped that things would fix themselves now that he’s seen how awful it was for his wife as well.

Once he was sure that the moment had passed, he took a deep breath before staring at the contents of the cup, taking a sip of it before craning his neck to relieve pressure.

“I will set this right Luna. We’ll set this right. No way am I letting our marriage deteriorate any further.” He spoke it clear and with conviction and his expression hardened.

He would not let these first few hurdles throw him off from their road to recovery.

Unknown to him, she was listening; the door slightly ajar as she lay curled up in the covers of their bed.

“We will. I choose to believe Noctis. Just give me time and I’m sure I’ll come around.”

And for once in this emotionally taxing day, she finds herself smiling and hoping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait!  
> This is a particularly difficult topic and I am taking my time in hopes that I can get the emotion across to the readers.
> 
> Please stay with me through this fic and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

“Welcome to our fourth session Mr. and Mrs. Caelum. Today we’ll be taking it easy. It technically isn’t even a session as I will be sending you out early but with instructions.” Dr. Reseda laughs as a look of mild surprise washes over Noctis and Luna’s face.

“Today is going to be a date day for the both of you. What you do is up to you but I only have two instructions for you: No gadgets and Focus on each other.” He concludes, giving the two a warm smile before sending them on their way, reminding them of their next scheduled session.

Once settled into the car, Noctis turns his attention over to his wife who gives him a small smile.

“Where do you suppose we go for our date?”

Slowly but surely, this past week Luna has been more forthcoming with him. Despite the lack of time they spend together on the evenings, he could tell that something had changed in her. She seemed determined but he couldn’t figure out just what it was.

For now though, he was willing to let things go as they were, given how events turned out in their last session. She was at least a bit more open.

“I have a few ideas on where we might go.” He says, gripping the steering wheel as he drove them out of the clinic’s parking lot and back onto the open road.

He catches her looking at her phone, probably updates from the hospital before gently reaching over and pushing it down to her lap.

Luna was about to protest but remembers the good doctor’s instruction: No gadgets

She gives him a sheepish smile before quietly apologizing and putting her phone away together with his in the glove compartment.

He keeps his eyes on the road and as they hit a stoplight, his face lights up.

“Actually, I have an even better idea.” He starts, prompting Luna to look over. “How about we each come up with places or things we can do together today?”

She claps her hands together and gives him a gentle nod of the head. “That sounds quite fun. Yes, let’s do just that. Give me a bit of time to come up with ideas while we go with yours first.”

She wouldn’t tell him at this very instant but something as small as him wanting to include her in the planning stages made her giddy. She felt as if she was being welcomed back into her husband’s life. It was a similar feeling of joy when they were doing the planning assignment after one of their earlier sessions.

“Right then, our first stop for Luna and Noctis’ date day: Crystal Museum!”

He decided to let himself go today, let things come naturally without thinking as much. If he was ever going to get her to open up more and feel comfortable with him again then he would start with himself.

‘I have to get rid of that stranger in Luna’s head, show her that it’s still me; it’s still her Noctis.’

This was a marriage after all; he can’t expect things to go the way he wants just by thinking and assuming that Luna will always be the one to take the first step.

No. They would have to work together and thankfully all signs point in the right direction, they just needed a kick starter and in one of the rarer instances in his life, Noctis took initiative. He would gladly break away from that if it meant having her back.

In about the same space of thought, Luna was busy with two things. She was thinking of something fun they could do together as well as anything that could convince her husband that the passion within her was still burning hotter than ever.

She had to show him that work had not made her lifeless, that she was still capable of keeping up with whatever he wanted them to do and possibly more.

Luna didn’t want to just save this marriage, she wanted to strengthen it and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

She would have to thank Dr. Reseda for such a perfectly timed opportunity like this to bring them closer together.

* * *

 

Once they had purchased tickets for two, they entered the massive main hall that housed several pieces of statues and suits of armor to greet and tease guests as to how large these halls would be.

The ceiling had “Big Bang” painted in fresco while the entryways to different exhibitions lined the walls with different signs to point guests where things were. Several guides were also roaming about, ready to assist the numerous people coming to and fro.

Today was a busy day apparently.

Noctis brings up a pamphlet which had a map of the entire museum as well as the list of the different exhibits that they could visit.

Luna leans over and browses through their different options before pointing to the “Astral” exhibit. “I’ve always wanted to see this particular exhibit but could never find the time.”

“Then we’ll go there first.” he agreed, opting against offering his hand in case she was still uncomfortable with the notion of being in physical contact with him still.

It took them passing through two different exhibits as well as having to ask a few questions to the guides before they found their way to a massive hall.

The lights here have been dimmed and a quite thrum of voices rung in a low chorus through the speakers, giving the place an ethereal atmosphere and mood.

Massive statues and dioramas of the six astrals adorned the circular room, towering over the tiny people that casually perused through their legend in text and video form.

“It is just as grand as they say it is on television; such beautiful recreations of the legends themselves.” She beamed in awe, taking a few steps forward, neck craned upwards

He watched her look about, fascinated with tall tales of the six gods that supposedly formed the pillars of differing facets of what made civilization what it was today.

Noctis was never much a believer of legends such as these but he humored Luna every now and then, listening to her ramble about the stories her mother had told her when she was a child.

He had caught up to her just as she was reading the mural about Shiva, The Glacian.

“Have I ever told you about my homeland’s supposed connection to Shiva, Noctis?” she inquired, eyes firmly glued to the lithe form of the statue behind the barrier.

Noctis shook his head. “Once or twice maybe but do remind me Luna, I’m always curious to know more about Tenebrae.”

She gives him a grateful smile, happy he seemed to just be able to listen to her talk and she would admit she needed to do so more often. It was not only therapeutic in the sense that it brought them closer, it was actually quite relaxing to just meander on about something random.

“Mother always used to tell me the same story, about how Shiva was the patron of Tenebrae and in extension, a patron to its entire people. Her cold exterior belies a warm affection for humanity, oft being referred to as the friendliest and the only astral to ever commune with mortals. It is in Tenebrae that she found her love for humanity to grow and thus, blessed it with bountiful land filled with lush forests and beautiful landscapes.”

He listened to every word with a smile on his face while she idly scrolled through the touchscreen, viewing the different renditions of the astral while she told him of her tale.

“Blessed by the gods themselves huh? That’s an amazing tale Luna. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“You’re very welcome Noctis however.” she trails off, moving to the center and looking around as he follows. “I am curious. You’re not a firm believer in such legends are you? Could you humor me and point out which astral here calls out to you?”

Noctis looked about as she watched him with careful eyes. He didn’t want to seem insensitive or disingenuous so he took a good look at each of the towering statues as well as browsing through the information presented in text in front of each.

Luna carefully observed his face, wondering how his mind was working as he made a choice with utmost concentration. If he was being facetious then he was doing a good job but it didn’t seem like it at all. He honestly felt like he was making a concentrated effort to her and for that she was happy.

“I gotta say.” he began after a few minutes. “Bahamut, “The Draconian” resonates with me the most.”

She questions him on his choice. “Oh? Why is that, pray tell?”

“Well, some of this is pretty silly but he looks pretty cool in that dragon armor.”

They share a laugh at the simplicity of his reasons.

“Besides the cool looking aesthetic he has, I admire his role in the legend. Its right here, the scriptures say that he is the almighty arbiter, the true judge of deeds good and evil. He painstakingly takes on the anger of the people that he serves judgement upon so that no other mortals would have to bear the same burden. It’s quite selfless.” he remarks, looking up in slight admiration at the titanic humanoid in dragon armor.

Luna smiles and clasps her hands together, delighted to see Noctis taking an interest however small with what she enjoys.

“They’re really straight out of your cosmology books aren’t they Luna? These aren’t even the full stories I assume.” he lightheartedly jokes as they continue walking around and admiring the detail in this massive exhibit hall.

“Yes. I should have you read some of the stories now that you’ve taken a fancy to Bahamut. I promise you will enjoy them.” she raved.

Not wanting to disappoint her and kill her excitement off, he agrees. “Reading’s not usually my thing but I’ll give it a shot if you think I really will like it.”

Luna gives him a smile and a grateful nod of the head before grabbing the pamphlet and looking at what other exhibits they could visit during their stay here.

They were bonding again and it felt much like their first date. She was slowly warming up to him and he couldn’t be any happier.

* * *

 

After spending the next hour and half admiring the various exhibits showcasing different works of art, pieces of history or more depictions of legends, the couple found themselves famished, their last meal being breakfast which was a good four hours behind them.

“I could honestly go for anything but I believe it’s your turn to pick what we do next and that is lunch.” Noctis puts the keys into ignition while Luna put away the small bag of museum souvenirs that they had purchased.

“I do actually have one place in mind already. The Botanical Gardens just past the waterfall district. It’s very relaxing and has a nice selection of food that even your picky stomach would be satisfied with.” she casually teases him, causing him to give her a pout before laughing along.

Though it was at his playful expense, this tongue in cheek humor coming from her was very welcome. He shook his head and smiled as he drove them through the streets just in time to get to the Botanical Gardens before the lunch crowd.

Finding an appropriate parking space, the two made their way inside the massive, glass dome like structure that housed a multitude of flora from different parts of the world.

If the museum seemed crowded, this place had even more people in it. The allure of such greenery within a city will always be irresistible to both locals and tourists as it provided a welcome breath of fresh air and a relaxing atmosphere.

Once again purchasing passes for the two of them, they made their way inside the atrium, admiring how different areas were sectioned off presumably for each climate type.

Before they get sidetracked, they go ahead and peel away from the main path and make their way towards the small concession stands to the side.

“I know it’s not exactly ideal for lunch but I reckon it would be fun, don’t you think?”

Luna spins around and gives him an excited smile, pointing over to the various stands with different kinds of food on display for cheap prices.

“I never took you for one to enjoy junk food like this Luna but why not.” he agrees, walking over as they began perusing through the various choices of food.

Items ranging from chili fries to corndogs, rice meals to burgers; it may not be gourmet class food but it would fill their stomachs. Noctis admitted that it was fun picking out food like this with Luna. It wasn’t his or anyone’s first thought when it comes to date food but hell, it was out of the box and it was her request.

Sitting down on a pair of stools, a nice spread of food in front of them from the different stands, they took their time in eating and conversing, enjoying their time together.

Chewing on his burger, he takes a moment to look into her eyes, heartbeat fast in his chest.

Her blue eyes shone with life and mirth and if eyes could smile he thought that this would be the very definition. She was wholeheartedly having fun and it delighted him to see it again.

Finally, he could get rid of the image of the passionless and exhausted woman he saw the week before and could replace it with the heavenly image of his wife enjoying life again.

Luna catches him staring at her and tilts her head in curiosity. What was he looking at she wondered?

She quickly grabs one of the napkins and wipes at her lips, thinking that something was left there as she ate her sandwich.

Noctis simply laughs and shakes his head. “We better finish our food before the sun goes down. By then we won’t be able to enjoy the flowers. It’s much better during the day than under the floodlights.”

She laughs at the exaggeration but sees his point. “We’re barely past noon Noctis, I think we’re set for time limitations but I do agree. The flowers are waiting while we stuff our faces.”

Luna grabs a handful of fries and smears it onto his lips, laughing as he tries to catch them with his mouth after getting over the initial shock of having Luna do something so immature.

“You’re lucky we’re in public. I’d have you buried in food and condiments if you did this at home.” he fires back, wiping his messy mouth with a napkin while he swallowed the fries.

The couple mess about for a bit more before finishing their food and properly disposing of their garbage.

After a quick trip to the restroom to freshen up, they were on their way to the first section of the botanical gardens: The Desert Springs.

Luna walked along the path, admiring the slightly arid conditions that would house the different species of flowers and plants that only grew in this type of climate. This section of the massive atrium had the temperature regulated at the appropriate level to ensure that the plant life would grow and live.

To Noctis, they looked like exotic greens that he’s never seen before. He was fascinated. He had always been a city boy so he was unaccustomed to things such as this but he was willing to discover and learn.

Seeing some of these plants and flowers in books was a far cry from seeing the actual thing upfront. They were beautiful and he wondered how they manage to appear so elegant despite how barren their surroundings were.

While he was observing some of the cacti and succulents arranged along the path, Luna was enjoying learning about the difference between these plants compared to the ones she grew up around in Tenebrae.

Much like her husband, she too was fascinated at how such beautiful flowers could grow in such desolate conditions.

A bright red flower growing amongst the rich sand catches her attention and she immediately calls Noctis over from his own reverie.

“I never thought I would see one up close Noctis. Galbana Lillies! They’re a very rare kind of flower to find. Don’t you think they’re absolutely beautiful? Something so elegant growing amidst all this sand must bring good fortune.”

Luna crouches down and observes the flowers without disturbing them, admiring the bright red petals as Noctis stands beside her.

Truly they were flowers that one could describe as one of a kind.

“They are quite mesmerizing. Anything you can tell me about this particular kind of flower?”

“Nothing much I’m afraid. Botany is just a simple hobby of mine so rarer species of flora like this escapes my scope of knowledge. I’m just happy that I finally get to see one away from the books.”

He finds himself staring at the richness of the color these small flowers. They were breathtaking and beautiful amidst a sea of sand; rough and ragged.

“You know, these lilies tell me something else Luna.” he begins, capturing his spouse’s attention fully as she looks up at him. “They’re strong and persevere through the harshest conditions, remaining one of the most beautiful things you can see for miles on end.”

She listens to him explain his point of view, nodding her head in agreement and smiling.

Noctis decides to push the lid just a bit more, hoping that Luna would take the sign that he was trying to mend their damaged relationship.

“Much like our marriage Luna, we’ve had to go through some of the toughest and most excruciating adversities and yet somehow we’re still here, together. Our marriage, our union, our vows is still the most beautiful thing amidst such harrowing and heartbreaking circumstances.”

He had effectively taken the breath out of her lungs as she stared up at him in wonder. His eyes were so full of warmth and hope, his words coated with such sincerity.

“Now that you’ve gone and given me such a perspective, I dearly would have wished I could capture these beautiful flowers with a phone.”

She gave him a playful pout before her lips gradually turned upright with a soft smile, one that made him take a moment to admire.

She was just as breathtaking if not more so than the flowers that they were admiring.

Noctis places a hand on her shoulder half-expecting her to shy away from the contact but she remains still, holding that loving expression on her face.

He gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze and smiles. “We can always come back Luna. For now, let’s just admire the flowers, burn them into memory.”

With that assurance of a return trip, she gives a satisfied nod before standing back up.

“I think I’ve found my new favorite flower now.” she offhandedly remarks.

“I will hold you to that promise of a return trip Noctis. What say we move on to the other biomes?” she asks, gesturing to the nearby entrance that would take them through the rainforest

“Anything you want. It’s our day to spend.”

He feels a sense of relief and pride. It had worked, that simple observation combined with letting his heart do the talking was slowly winning her over to him again. Soon, he vowed, they would make the next step in their journey of recovery and healing.

Her expression melts at the honesty and gentle tone of his voice. She felt as if she was falling in love all over again.

Those blue eyes of his; compared to the week before, she could see him. She could see the man she married.

They felt warm and loving. She tore her gaze away before she got caught staring, reaching out for his hand to hold.

It was his turn to stop and wonder, looking at her outstretched hand with a smile on her face.

She did well to hamper the bubbling emotions in her chest right now, the familiar sting of tears forming as she willed herself to accept him once more.

He never left she realized, he had just been hiding and all it would take was for him to come out was to feel the warmth of love from her again.

With a chuckle, Noctis slips his hand into hers and allows his wife to lead him into the next section filled with numerous exotic flowers waiting to be discovered.

* * *

 

They had spent a good amount of time in the Botanical Gardens, making sure to visit each biome and see all the beauty that nature could give even in an artificial setting such as this.

Not once did the couple let go of the other’s hands when they came together, the rift between them starting to mend.

What is broken can be fixed and this was hard evidence of which either of them could attest to.

Walking out to the parking lot with a small bouquet of Sylleblossoms and Irises from the botanical garden’s flower shop, the couple climbs into their car.

It was starting to get dark out and on a Friday, restaurants were bound to be full of people so the couple decided to drive around, looking for places to eat.

“I believe it’s my turn to take us somewhere?” he casually teases her as they drive along at a moderate speed, making sure to keep eyes on the road and at the same time, look at possible establishments to have dinner in.

Luna laughs at the remark. “As long as we avoid getting food poisoning then yes, you are in charge of dinner choices.”

“Then I’ll make sure to get us sick for the rest of the week!” Noctis laughed, playing along with her jibes.

They continued to converse with one another as they drove through streets and blocks, finding restaurants to either be already full or have had reservations beforehand.

Things were not looking good for dinner, their choices having been exhausted. They had spent a good hour just driving around the city looking for places to eat without anything to show for.

Night had quickly caught up to them and if they didn’t think of something soon, they would be in for a world of hunger.

It was Noctis’ responsibility to come up with an idea for dinner. They had pulled over at a gasoline station, refilling the car with gas and just as he was about to suggest fast food take-out or drive-thru a brilliant idea struck him.

Promptly paying for the gas and making sure that everything was sealed up, Noctis returned to the car, getting in and seeing Luna munching on a small packet of peanuts.

He gives her a playfully mean look before reaching over and grabbing some for himself. “You dirty cheat!”

“I can’t help it, I’m feeling a bit peckish already Noctis.” she fires back, lightly shoving his shoulder for stealing some of her treats.

“Alright alright, calm down. Listen, I’ve come up with something better than eating out. How about we make dinner?”

The blonde woman taps her chin, as if giving it some thought while her husband pulled out of the gasoline station and was already taking them towards the nearby grocery.

“That could be a lot of fun! Let’s go with that then. Magnificent save Noctis.”

He couldn’t help but feel pride swell up inside of him, giving himself a pat on the back for coming up with something that they could do together and gain something out of it. Hopefully it would be more than just a full stomach at the end of the day.

He did not want to stop this streak of good fortune with his relationship with Luna just yet.

Pulling up to the small grocery store and making sure that the car was properly parked and secure, they enter and grab a small basket, intending to buy just enough for their dinner tonight.

His wife playfully nudges him with her elbow as they walk along the aisles. “So, what does Chef Noctis have in mind for dinner?”

“Well, I may not be as good as Ignis is at cooking but I was hoping we could make a three course meal. Sounds like a challenge but hey, what’s life without a little excitement right?” he proposed, earning him a nod of affirmation from Luna.

“A three course meal sounds lovely but what about the particulars?”

“I have a set in mind though it’s nothing fancy. I was thinking we make some Creamy Bisque to start us off then for our main course we’ll have something simple like Free-Range Fowl over Rice. Anything you want for dessert?”

Learning what Noctis had in plan, Luna leads them towards the produce section to procure some of the ingredients for the bisque and their main course such as onions, peppers and a small helping of rice enough for two.

“Do you remember those pastries that you absolutely could not get enough of when you and I visited mother a couple of years back in Tenebrae?” she inquired, slowly filling the basket with what they needed in this section before moving onto the seafood and meat section.

She looks over and sees his face light up like a Christmas tree, snapping his fingers in recognition.

“Ah!” he exclaims “Those Ulwaat berry tarts! You called them something else though.”

“Yes, my mother and I call them Memory Lane Pastries: A Fleuret family specialty. Could you be a dear and hunt down a pack of ulwaat berries, some leiden sweet potatoes and a small bag of wheat? I’ll whip us up a batch for dessert.”

Noctis is quick to smile and nod his head, taking the basket from her arm and proceeds to hunt down said items while Luna made sure to pick out the better cuts of Karlabos claws and Basilisk breasts.

“Excuse me miss, I couldn’t help but overhear your exchange with your husband earlier. Making dinner for a special night?” The person handling the meat section courteously asks her while he measures and weighs the cuts she picked out.

“Yes. It’s more spur of the moment if I’m being honest. Every establishment in the city seems to be filled to capacity tonight so we decided to just make dinner ourselves and spend some time at home.” she explains, thanking the man as he hands the items over in small, paper bags with the price tags on them.

“I see. It’s a very nice thing to share with your spouse, lots of bonding time and fun to be had when cooking together. My wife and I always cooked our meals together before she passed and I just wish I had more time to spend with her. All is well though, life keeps going and we have to go along with it.”

The man gives her a somber smile before returning to work. “Have a pleasant evening together ma’am.”

She couldn’t quite place it at the moment but hearing about this man’s deceased partner struck a chord with her.

He seemed to really cherish every second he spent with his wife up until her passing. She began to wonder if this is what Noctis had been thoroughly upset about before they had started visiting Dr. Reseda’s clinic.

A sense of understanding and regret washes over her as she realizes the simplicity in Noctis’ point of view. What good would a comfortable lifestyle do them if she was never there to spend it with him?

Luna is shaken from her thoughts as the object of her concern was waving his hands in front of her face, a look of worry on his face as he finds her spacing out with small bags of seafood and meat in the middle of the aisle.

“Is everything alright? Feeling tired?” he cautiously asks her

His question was simple and yet it spoke volumes of how much he really did care about her.

Wordlessly smiling at him, she puts the small bags in the basket, tugging him along to the checkout counter with a confused look on his face.

She looks back at him and gives him a reassuring smile. “I’m looking forward to dinner tonight Noctis.”

And that is all he needed, giving her a smile of his own.

* * *

 

“Alright, shall we delegate tasks to each other?” Her voice called out to him as they began emptying the grocery bags on the kitchen counter, sorting the ingredients according to the dish.

“Sure thing! I can handle the bisque as well as the basilisk. That leaves the rice and the pastries to you. Does that sound like an even spread?” he asks just as he starts to pour water into a stockpot while Luna readied the chopping board as well as some knives and other utensils they will be needing.

“I’m not so sure Noctis, this arrangement sounds pretty unfair to me.” she taunts him, said man pouting at her jibe before laughing with her.

“Then what do you suppose we do?”

“How about I teach you to make the pastries with me? Sound fun?”

Turning the conduction stove on and leaving it to heat up to the appropriate temperature before getting started on preparing the peppers and grounding the karlabos claw into paste.

“That sounds great actually. Would be fun to learn how to make our favorite treats.” he remarks, dicing the peppers into small portions before getting to work with the claw, carefully picking it apart for ease

She simply hums in reply, filling up the rice cooker with water as well as the portion of rice they bought.

They settle into comfortable silence as they each work on their tasks, preparing a simple yet sumptuous meal for two, the only noise filling the kitchen were the sounds of their hard work.

Seconds turns to minutes as they continue before Luna finds herself staring down at the potatoes and wheat that she’s been mixing in a bowl.

A sudden sense of nostalgia washes over her and she stops, putting the bowl down gently and making a move to grab the baking sheet as well as the paper molds from one of the cupboards. She tries to sort out her emotions without alerting the man currently stirring the steadily boiling bisque.

Her fingers were shaking and soon, she feels tears gently cascading down her cheeks and the realization of why she was feeling like a wreck when all was fine a minute ago hits her.

It had been so long since this kitchen was used by both of them and it was a sore reminder for Luna just how long they have had to endure this rough patch in their marriage.

Not wanting to worry her husband, she quickly tears a piece from the paper towel nearby and gently wipes the moisture from her cheeks and eyes.

She sniffles and lets out a quiet sob, muffled by the back of her hand. She can already tell that her eyes were red just by how swollen they feel against her eyelids.

 Not good.

If Noctis saw her now he would worry and that was absolutely the last thing she wanted to make him feel after such a wonderful day together.

They were starting to act like a married couple again and she was afraid it would ruin all the progress they had made if he saw her breaking down like this.

As if on cue, said man had just turned the conduction stove off to let the bisque settle. He turns around to get started on preparing the basilisk when he spots her facing away from him, shoulders shaking while she dabs at her eyes with the paper towel.

The tears just wouldn’t stop and she was getting frustrated at everything at the moment.

Noctis quietly makes his way over to her, making sure that the rice wasn’t being overcooked before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Wordlessly, he turns her around to face him. Her crying had stopped by now, the paper towel soaked as he took it away from her hand after making sure her cheeks are dried up.

“What’s the matter Luna? Why the tears?” he asks her in a quiet and tender voice.

She lets out a small laugh, sniffling as she rubs at her eyes. “I’m just feeling very emotional right now. It’s because of how long it has been since we’ve done something in this kitchen together like this and it was just an uncomfortable reminder of how much we’ve missed this past year. I feel horrible about all this Noctis.”

He feels a similar twinge of pain in his chest as she tells him why she’s feeling distraught. He couldn’t blame her. As soon as he heard it come out of her, he is also hit with the realization that it had been months since they had even used the kitchen, much less work together on a meal.

He gives a small squeeze on her shoulder. It wasn’t just her fault. He should have been more open-minded with her. She was sacrificing so much all for their sake and yet he never gave her a chance to explain herself.

“You’re not alone in feeling bad about all this Luna. I should’ve been more understanding and thoughtful as well. You’ve been carrying so much on your own shoulders for the both of us.” he stated, willing her to look at him in the eyes

Figuring that now was not the time to have such a heartfelt conversation, he casually steers them back to their task before anything gets spoiled.

Noctis decides to leave some parting words for now, hoping that it would tide Luna over until at least after dinner where they could have more time to talk about their frustrations and feelings.

“It’s all in the past.” he said, “We focus on the now alright? Chin up, else our dinner’s going to get ruined and we’ll have to order delivery. I know how much you hate doing that.”

Luna smiles and laughs, patting the hand on her shoulder while she composes herself. She was thankful that Noctis did not want to pry and relieved that he too was coming around, sharing the load and the blame.

It was a massive comfort to her and he knew just the right buttons to push to get her smiling again. “Thank you Noctis, truly. It really means a lot.”

Content with brightening up the mood, they both resume their duties with a noticeable bounce in their step.

Within minutes, the couple had nothing to do but to wait for the rest of the food to be finished. The pastries that they had worked on together sat in the oven in rows of 4 while Noctis had just finished sautéing the basilisk breast, placing the two halves of it on each of their plates.

Setting up the table for their small and simple dinner, they carefully pulled the pastries out of the oven and letting them settle on the kitchen counter before taking their seats on opposite sides of the table.

“Remind you of something else?” he playfully asks her with an eyebrow raised.

“You mean our first date back at your old apartment? Yes, it’s equally simple and cliché.” she fires back, shooting down her husband’s attempt to be suave.

Noctis takes a spoonful of the creamy bisque, swallowing before he replies. “You always did like knocking me down a peg or two whenever I tried flirting with you. Why is that?”

“It’s because you have this cute face you make every single time I do so. It’s simply adorable that you’ve retained such an expression dating back when we were children.” she laughs merrily.

“I do?” He then proceeds to make a few faces, distorting his face in numerous ways that a child would find funny and yet it was the hilarious to Luna, clutching the edges of the table.

They continue along this line of conversation and exchanging jokes while they finished their bowls of bisque before digging into the sumptuous entree.

The basilisk breast had been cooked to perfection; something Noctis greatly prided himself in after learning how to cook during his high school and university days.

The rice meanwhile was a great added touch to the dish, balancing out the richness of the flavor of the basilisk.

“Food for thought Noctis, I always did wonder why you never pursued a career in the culinary arts. The things you cook, when you feel like doing so, taste brilliant. I’m sure you would be a hot prospect for establishments around the city, dare I say even the entire country.” she pointed out as she always did whenever she got a taste of his cooking.

It was no lie, even his friends would ask the same thing and he would always answer in the same, deadpan way.

“It’s too troublesome to have to stick to a set menu though. The creativity stops there unless I’m the one who owns the restaurant and I’m just not up to managing one myself.”

That’s what he told himself at least but in truth, he was just lazy and saw cooking as a hobby rather than as a possible profession.

“Well, if I may make a request? Perhaps we could do this more frequently, more often than before at the very least? I did enjoy making this meal with you.”

Laughing at her tendency of taking the initiative again, he was more than happy to agree. It was at least something he could look forward to doing together with his wife.

The rest of dinner went by uneventfully, their plates having been stacked into the kitchen sink to be cleaned later once everything was said and done.

Luna brings over the small tray of tarts in her arms, sufficiently cooled off for consumption by now. “Now it’s time to judge your pastries Noctis. We’ll see if they pass the master’s test.”

“Go easy on me? They’re my first ever batch.” He did not want to admit it but he was extremely nervous about the whole thing. These treats were Luna’s specialty and he did not want to ruin them for her.

“Oh don’t fret dear, I’m not going to bite.” she pauses before taking one of the tarts to her lips. “Much.”

He feels his cheeks heat up; did she just flirt with him right then and there? It was all very sudden and yet he starts to notice the way her lip gloss shines under the light, the manner in which her lips come together as she bites down on the powdery treat in her hands.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he watches and waits for the verdict, his wife continuing to chew with her eyes closed and face scrunched up in concentration.

After what seemed forever, she gave him a smile and popped the rest of the tart in her mouth. “It’s not bad for your first try, well done Noctis.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll just have to try harder next time but there is no way I am going to replicate the way you make them Luna.” he answered, taking one and popping it whole in his mouth.

It wasn’t nearly as delicious and filling as when Luna made them but the ulwaat berries just melted in his mouth, evenly balanced out by the tart itself so that the flavor does become overbearing.

“As far as I’m concerned, we don’t need a second batch made by myself. This is plenty fine for the both of us.” Luna continues, reaching for another tart.

The couple merrily conversed like old friends coming together after a long period of separation, sharing small jokes and stories as they partook in and emptied the tray of the Memory Lane Pastries.

* * *

 

With the dishes and cooking implements clean, dry and back in their respective cupboards, the couple decide to relax in their living room couch, a bit tired from their day out.

“I haven’t had that much fun in a long while. Thank you very much Noctis.” she confessed, absent mindedly staring at what was showing on the TV screen.

He looked from the television to her, smiling and giving her a thumbs up. “Hey now, you’ve always had fun whenever I took you out on a date. Don’t let all this stop that.” he laughs

“You know very well that’s not what I meant you cheeky lug.”

“Yeah, of course I do. I’m your husband after all.”

Her expression softens and she smiles. “Yes, you are definitely my husband.”

A few quiet moments pass before Noctis grabs the remote from the table and turns the television off, surprising Luna.

“Is it time for bed already? It’s only eight.” she tilts her head in question.

Noctis sits cross-legged beside her, turning his body so that he would be facing her fully. Looking at her hands then back up at her eyes, as if asking for permission.

“If it’s alright with you Luna, I’d like to try that soul gazing exercise we did a few weeks back. I’ll understand if the whole experience is still a bit sore and sensitive for you. It was just-” he trails off, taking a deep breath to calm his shaky nerves, hands lightly shaking on his lap while Luna listens on in silence, willing him to confide in her.

“The entire experience was harrowing for me. It rendered me speechless and lost. The man you described to Dr. Reseda and I felt like an absolute stranger. It broke my heart to hear that this is what you saw in my eyes back then. I wanted to do this, if only to just erase that memory from my mind. That is if you’re willing?”

The air felt heavy and hot around them now, Noctis searching for the answer in her eyes as she seemed stuck in thought. This was a revelation to her and she had no idea how much the simple exercise had scarred the man sitting in front of her.

Gently, she takes his hands and places her own in his grasp, feeling the warmth on her skin.

“I won’t lie Noctis, I feel quite the same. It felt absolutely terrible how you saw a lifeless husk, devoid of any warmth or passion in my eyes.”

Noctis was about to apologize profusely for hurting her so before she lifts one of her hands, stopping him and allowing her to finish.

“There is no need for apologies for the words that have been said on that day. Truth is always a bitter pill to swallow and yet we cannot fault each other if that is indeed what we saw in each other’s eyes.” she pauses, squeezing his hands gently.

“If it will help the both of us move forward and continue on this steady path of finding each other once more then I would be more than happy to repeat the exercise with you.” she finishes, mimicking the way he sat on their couch.

That brought a lot of comfort and closure to Noctis, much more than he was expecting. He nods his head and adjusts himself such that they were sitting in close proximity.

Their hands fall back to their own laps as their eyes meet, blue on blue.

The relative silence that enveloped their surroundings was not as tense as it was in Dr. Reseda’s clinic. Was it because of the absence of the good doctor? The familiarity of their own home? Maybe it was because of the lovely day out together without a blink of stress?

Whatever the reason was, the couple was more than comfortable and had settled quickly into the trance-like state they found themselves in before.

Seconds turned to minutes as they held each other’s intense gaze, easily losing track of time as they continued. One of them had to pull away some time so that they could share and reflect together as is the goal for this particular exercise and yet neither of them could look away.

There was so much going on in each set of blue eyes that it was hard to find an anchor, a solid base from which to build upon. It proved to be harder than the first time, minutes ticking on well past the minimum required.

If there was any word that Noctis could use to describe Luna’s blue orbs it would be Exquisite. It was the most breathtaking shade of blue he had ever seen, clearer than any ocean he had ever set eyes on.

There was something different this time around. He found a small fire in them, speck of determination and life. The corners of his mouth curled upwards and had to restrain himself from bringing her into his arms.

He had missed this from her, so long had it been as icy cold as the color of her eyes and yet now, the makings of warmth was starting to build up deep inside those beautiful eyes of hers.

Much like her husband’s musings, she too was spellbound, tears gently slipping down her cheeks. She had done her fair share of crying this day and all for the right reasons and yet she wanted to slap herself silly with how emotionally vulnerable she’s been.

She had convinced herself that she needed this kind of emotional release after holding it in for a very long time. This hypothetical dam had been holding in so much that the second she opened it, everything just came spilling out.

She was overcome with happiness at this moment though. The haunting visage of a man fraught with sorrow and despondence was gone after a lengthy time of admiring the shimmering blue orbs that belonged to the man in front of her and soon; a familiar sight greeted her.

This was Noctis, the man she had grown up with, dated and eventually married. This wasn’t the man he was horrified of hearing about a few weeks prior. She was overjoyed.

“You’re crying again, haven’t you run dry by now?” he playfully jokes as she gives him a tearful smile.

Luna closes the distance between them, crawling towards her husband and wrapping her arms around his torso, nuzzling against his chest as she lay between his legs.

To say that Noctis was stunned was an understatement. Here she was, pouring her heart out to him wordlessly, wrapping him in her arms and feeling like she would never let go.

He knows things were still on the mend and that this might be somewhat of a reactionary or a spur of the moment kind of thing but he would not complain. It’s been months since he’s held her.

Gently adjusting himself to make them both comfortable on the couch, he wraps his arms around her small frame. She felt so soft and warm pressed against him as he lay down with her on top of him.

He ran his fingers through her silky blond locks, feeling just how smooth it was when his fingers combed through them as he comforted her. His other hand rubbed small circles on her back while she tried her hardest not to stain his shirt with her tears for much longer.

“I’m terribly sorry for the sudden outburst Noctis. I really should learn not to wear my emotions on my sleeve when it comes to things like this.” she quietly sniffled, grabbing fistfuls of the fabric of his shirt.

He shakes his head with a small laugh, shushing her and continuing his small ministrations. “It’s perfectly fine. You can cry your heart out and soak all my clothes in your tears and I wouldn’t bat an eye.”

This earns him a small laugh from her while she continues to keep her face hidden against his chest.

The couple once again let silence take them over, enjoying the simple contact and the ambient sounds of their condo unit while waiting her sniffles and sobs out until she was fine once more.

“I found you, you know.” she mumbles, tracing small circles against his shirt while he played with her hair.

“What do you mean you found me? I’ve always been here.” he replied, mirth in his voice.

Luna smiles up at him. “In your eyes, when we were soul gazing. I couldn’t find a trace of that stranger you were afraid of. I found my Noctis. I found you in those beautiful eyes of yours.”

He feels warmth swell in his chest and this isn’t because of his wife laying on it. A euphoric feeling envelops his entire being and he just wanted to scream out into the heavens, his fears assuaged.

Relief then takes over; the haunting memory of his wife possibly being afraid of what he’s turned into gone from his mind.

“I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear this from me as well Luna, your eyes have never felt this warm for a long time. Just as you found me in my eyes once again, so too did I in your eyes. This beautiful, driven and strong willed woman with such fiery passion and life that exudes from just her gaze had not been gone at all, she was simply hiding.” he finishes, breathing a sigh of relief.

“I’m truly happy that we found each other again. Now our road to recovery should be easier. We may not be fully healed and ready to do everything that we used to do and what is expected of a married couple but I can definitely see it. It’s only a matter of time.”

He couldn’t agree any more with his wife. She had summed up his thoughts perfectly in such a concise manner that left little room for speculation.

“Do you mind if we stay like this Noctis, even just for tonight?” she mumbles, apparently already deciding for herself that she would use him as her bed and pillow as she nuzzles herself against his chest.

“Tonight or any other night.” he replies, realizing too late that he might have sounded too forward but the serene look on her face as she lets sleep embrace her tells him otherwise.

For the first time in months, he gets to hold his dear wife in his embrace as he settles down onto the couch, making sure she was just as comfortable as he is before he allows himself the respite provided by sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait once again!
> 
> I made this chapter extra long and with just the right amount of fluff. Hopefully the pacing is still to your liking, I'm trying my best!


	4. Chapter 4

It was a wet day, a very rainy day to have a session but Dr. Reseda insisted that today was alright for them to come in if it wasn’t any sort of inconvenience.

Noctis rushed Luna inside of the clinic underneath their umbrella, turning and pointing his keys at the car to lock it.

Shrugging their coats off and placing them on the rack along with their umbrella, they greet the receptionist who shows them into the room where Dr. Reseda is waiting with a smile on his face.

“Good morning! Apologies for having you go through this rain but I figure we shouldn’t stop the momentum we’re at right now. We are on our sixth session and things are progressing very well.” He stands up and greets the two of them, inviting them to sit at the couch while he picks up their folder.

Over the course of a month, their relationship had taken a surprising turnaround. Coming from where they started where they had barely spoken to the other and often resulting in verbal arguments, the couple was steadily reforming what was torn apart, much to the joy of their therapist.

After their third session which culminated in a very terse but heartbreaking exchange of descriptions, Dr. Reseda found it appropriate to start introducing more verbal exercises while supplementing them with the mental exercises they have already been doing.

This, compounding with the breakthrough that Noctis and Luna achieved whilst spending the day out the week before gave Dr. Reseda that much more drive and confidence to push through with their continuing therapy.

“Today we’ll start with something I like to call the Weekly Meeting.” he began, “For this particular exercise, liken yourselves to that of a manager and an employee. You’ll be communicating with each other back and forth, asking questions about the other without the distraction of electronics, work or anything. It’ll just be the two of you. I’ll give you some space but will be observing and taking notes.”

He gives them both an inquisitive look, gauging their reaction to this latest activity but found no animosity or hesitation. He nods, thoroughly satisfied and almost wanting to give himself a pat on the back for suggesting that day out as their activity for their fifth session last week.

“This exercise will run us about thirty minutes but do take your time and don’t rush. Just ask each other questions pertaining to anything and everything about your relationship. I have a few sample questions that the both of you could make use of as well to hopefully give you an idea and possibly formulate questions of your own.” he finishes.

Dr. Reseda hands them both sheets of paper containing the sample questions before standing up and walking back over to his desk, a healthy distance away from the consultation area where the two of them were seated.

Noctis was about to start before Luna holds a hand up. “Let me lead us this time around.” She requests, giving him a short but sweet smile to ease any worry.

“By all means, go ahead.”

They turn to face each other while seated on the couch, Luna fiddling the piece of paper in her hands for a few moments before letting out a deep breath, looking her husband straight in the eye. “Is there anything in the past week that I have done that may have unknowingly hurt you?”

Noctis was quite surprised with such a forward question coming so soon. Quickly he skims through the samples questions and doesn’t find it there.

This was Luna’s question.

He cleared his throat and looked around before meeting her gaze.

“Well, it doesn’t happen as often now and I do appreciate that very much but you did fall back to the same routine twice this past week, leaving me hanging while you went straight to sleep without an explanation as to why. Don’t get me wrong, I understand what it is you’re going through but I’d appreciate at least a heads up.” He confesses, wincing as the words almost tangibly enters her ears.

“And there was the time where you had refused to let me pick you up after your monthly director’s meeting last Thursday. I was hoping we could at spend the night together, maybe eat dinner outside but you told me to go on ahead without you.” he continues, deciding to be completely forward and honest, laying all of his cards on the table for her to see.

She rubs her palms on her lap before silently nodding. “I understand Noctis. Thank you for being honest.”

He was afraid he’d hurt her but this was still part of the exercise, that in itself being part of the bigger picture which was for the sake of improving and healing their relationship. Hardships were inevitable.

“Could I ask you the same thing Luna? Have I unknowingly done something that could have hurt you in the past week?” he asks, rubbing the back of his neck and hoping he could keep himself level like she has so far.

“I recall you acting immature after the said monthly meeting incident, choosing not to talk to me once I got home. You also tend to withdraw to yourself after a tough day at work. I had wanted for you to confide in me after one of your clients gave you lip and cut off your working relationship, resulting in your manager having words with you as well. At the very least, I wanted to provide some comfort to you after that but you chose not to and sulked on the couch for the rest of the evening.”

Her reaction to the question was more subdued but Noctis can definitely see that she was being genuine and upfront with him, showing him the same amount of respect.

He nods his head. “I’m very sorry about that Luna, I’ll keep it in mind next time. Thank you.”

“I apologize too Noctis. I will try to do better.” she replied

He gives her a small smile as they trade apologies before moments of silence passes. They had only asked each other one question and Noctis was at a loss as to how he should proceed.

As if reading his mind, Luna continues on with another question.

“When I come home from work, what can I do or say that will make you feel the most loved?”

His face visibly lit up. Now they were getting to more positive reinforcement. He had been wanting to answer these types of questions now that things were looking brighter.

He gives Luna a light chuckle before replying. “For starters, you could announce that you’re home whenever you come in. It’s more personal instead of just assuming that I know you’re home because the door opened.”

He continued. “I know you’re tired every day after such long and arduous shifts but I’d also like for you to join me on the couch sometimes. Talk idly about your day, share stories. It doesn’t have to be long. I understand you need your rest too but definitely, don’t just ignore me and head straight for bed without giving a reason to. I’ll understand that sometimes you do just need to sleep it off but tell me first. In the same line of thinking, I will endeavor to do the same with you if I should ever find myself in a similar situation.”

Luna nods her head but keeps eye contact with him, taking serious note of his suggestions and doing her utmost to try and commit them to memory.

“Thank you for the honesty and direction Noctis. This should help greatly on our road to recovery. I find myself looking forward to doing so. Communication is good.” She hums with a smile.

Taking the cue to ask his own question, he looks down at the sample questionnaire, seeing if there were any that would make an interesting topic of conversation with his wife.

Feeling his cheeks flare up in embarrassment as his eyes drift over the word “sex”, he quickly shakes his head.

He feels a dull ache in his chest though, as if this too was something he had been yearning for. True, it had been a while since he and Luna were physically intimate, let alone engaging in sexual activities but was it really something that he had been longing to have once again?

The warmth of her slim frame pressed against his, the feel of her smooth, pale skin underneath his palm as he slid it down along every curve and contour of her body. It was all so vivid in his mind as he further recalled just how nice it felt to have her like that.

He really had no idea why he had begun to fantasize about her like that in a clinic and during a session of all times.

Regaining his senses as it must’ve looked like he had just had a stroke in front of her, he just reads out the next question in the list without so much as bothering to check.

Noctis clears his throat, shaking the feeling away. “What are the main stressors currently in your life? Is there any way I can alleviate that stress for you even if it’s only by a small amount?”

A small smile curls upon her lips, finding the question amusing to a certain extent and at the same time sweet.

“That’s quite nice and sweet of you to offer.” she starts, thinking for a few moments before coming up with an answer.

“As you’re well aware, my duties at the ICU leave me strained, stressed and emotionally fatigued when it comes time for me to leave and come home to you. Oftentimes I bear witness to heartbreaking scenes with my charges as well as their families.” she confesses feeling mildly uncomfortable with the topic but with the gentle urging of her husband, she presses on.

“That being said, something small to let me know that you’re there for me no matter what and that you support me through such trying days will suffice. Building upon your request from the earlier question, I shall try to reciprocate to the best of my abilities.”

He gives her a nod, digesting what she had shared with him in his mind and making sure to commit it to memory so at the soonest, he could do just as she had asked.

“Nothing too overbearing please, I would not want to put stress on you for my sake.” she quickly adds, getting her message across clearly with a small laugh.

“Gotcha. No need to worry about that, it’s all here.” he remarks, tapping his head with a confident smirk.

Luna laughs once again. “And that’s why it worries me.”

The couple share a laugh, even getting Dr. Reseda who shakes his head with a smile while the couple banters back and forth in front of him.

Casually lounging back on the couch, Luna lets out a sigh of relief before moving on to another question she had been meaning to ask, her questionnaire completely forgotten on the table much to her husband’s shame since he had been constantly looking over the list while she had formulated her own questions.

“How can I better support you in your life?”

It was deep, held a lot of meaning and yet so simply worded. It was a beautiful question.

“Simple really.” he mumbles, bridging the small gap between them and takes her hands in his. “Simply being there with me every step of the way. Feeling your presence and your warmth is more than enough to keep me happy and feel loved and supported.”

“So please” he pauses to take a breath, “Do just that. I won’t ask much more from you if it makes you uncomfortable at this stage in our recovery. I’ll be the happiest man if I could have just that."

“You’re a huge sap you realize that Noctis? I suppose I can acquiesce to your request if it pleases you that much.”

The exercise had slowly turned from a back and forth question and answer to mild flirting and had eaten up much of the thirty minutes that Dr. Reseda had given them.

Deciding that they have had their fill but feeling a bit of regret when he had to interrupt such a wholesome conversation between the two, he decides to make his way back to his armchair opposite the couple on the couch.

“It truly is heartwarming to see you two getting along so well and even displaying casual intimacy and romantic conversation but I’m afraid that if we had continued further, we would not have enough time for the second part of our session today.” he jokes, causing embarrassment from the couple.

“We’re sorry Dr. Reseda. Did we go too far?” Noctis asks, worried that he may have overstepped any boundaries within the clinic.

“Oh heavens no, if we weren’t strapped for time I would’ve gladly let the exercise continue but, as it stands we still have another activity to perform and I would want to maximize the time that we all have together. Please don’t think otherwise. Any positive development is good and welcome.” he reassures them.

“Now, I wanted to break the monotony of our exercises given that all of them so far have involved problem and conflict recognition as well as internalization of the situation at hand.”

The couple would not deny that observation. It had helped set a solid groundwork and foundation for their therapy but they would welcome a change of pace in their sessions wholeheartedly.

“Think of the following activities as lighthearted games that couples could do on their spare time. We’ll go with this one first. It’s called “Five Things... Go!” he laughs at the simplicity of the name he’s given this little activity.

Noctis looks intrigued but excited whilst Luna had a look of amusement to match Dr. Reseda’s laugh.

“It’s pretty simple and fairly quick but can spark a conversation that could last minutes to hours depending on your answers. The both of you will come up with a theme, topic or even something small like a code word. After coming up with one, you are to list down five things related to the topic and will then proceed to share it to your partner.”

Luna felt giddy, it was another way to get to know more about Noctis, find out what makes him tick while Noctis found this exercise to be a chance to relax and just let loose, possibly making this funnier than it would have to be.

Dr. Reseda brings his hands together. “I’m actually looking forward to this. It’s time to unwind and let the Caelums take center stage.” he grinned, standing up to make himself a cup of coffee, leaving Noctis and Luna to deliberate.

“Would you want a theme or a code word to start this off?” he asks her.

“It’s our first time playing this game so let’s go with something with a bit more substance to it. Let’s do a themed concept. Have any in mind you wish to put in the hat?”

“It’s got to be something that will give us something new to find out about the other. We’ve been married for ten years and have practically been together since childhood so it’s going to be tricky.” he chuckled.

“You’re correct in that assumption. Maybe something playful and lighthearted?” she hums in thought as Dr. Reseda returns to his armchair.

He observes the couple having some semblance of difficulty as they go back and forth, throwing ideas out but immediately scrapping them.

Looking down at his watch and noticing their session time ticking away, he decides to step in and help.

“You don’t necessarily need to have something to gain with this activity, just think of anything that would make for a good topic that the both of you can comfortably list down five things to share.”

Noctis nods in understanding, lips pursed in a thin line as he thought before Luna snaps her finger with an elated look on her face.

“Noctis, what do you say we list down five things that your partner has ever said that had a huge impact in your life? That way, we can retain the essence of discovering something while providing a level of excitement for the both of us?”

Dr. Reseda applauds Luna, impressed by her profound idea. “Bravo Mrs. Caelum!”

“I can definitely get on board with that! You’re absolutely right, it’s something that we both know of already but not to the full extent of knowing how much significance it is to each other.” Noctis grinned.

The couple grab a piece of paper and a pencil laid out on the table and spend the next ten or so minutes thinking of and writing down phrases from their past that held weight and importance to them no matter how small or brief it was.

It surprised Dr. Reseda just how long it took the couple to properly formulate even such a small list but remembers that Noctis and Luna practically grew up together, the definition of childhood sweethearts.

The difficulty in pinning down five important phrases that would have had the intended effect as per his instruction must have been immense but both individuals had managed to finish before their session had ended.

Perhaps he would just assign the last activity for them to take home since they would effectively run out of time? It would depend on how he views today’s session.

Luna gave Noctis a nod, signaling that she was done with her own list as well. Noctis then proceeded to give Dr. Reseda an affirmative nod before looking down at his list with a satisfied grin.

“Excellent. Now we can go about this one of two ways: You can either tell each other what you have in your list by either going back and forth or allowing one to finish their list before reciting yours. You may discuss the items you have listed down afterwards but do take not that we are running short on time so you may wish to leave your discussion when you are at home.” he explained.

Though it was true that they had taken longer than expected with the activities he had laid out for the couple today, he was overall very happy that the couple was this dedicated to making each one of these exercises meaningful by being truthful and digging deep to find the right things to say and show.

Luna for once seemed too embarrassed to start the activity. Usually she would take the first turn but found herself unable as she ran through her own list, letting Noctis start.

“Right.” he begins, pulling a bit at the collar of his shirt and feeling the gravity of what he was about to share.

“ _Is your leg alright?”_

“ _I’ll stay with you.”_

“ _You’re never alone Noctis.”_

“ _I know you inside and out. I’ve always been here for you and will continue to do so.”_

“ _Do I have any regrets being with you? None and it will continue to be that way because I choose to be with you, flaws and all.”_

As Noctis looks up from his list he finds Luna covering her mouth with a hand, her face flushed as he handpicked some of the most intimate words she has ever spoken to him and said it out loud verbatim.

“I’m pleasantly surprised you’ve flawlessly reproduced each and every one of those five phrases Noctis.” she laughs.

To anyone else listening, these may have not meant much but in each of those questions and phrases was a different part of Noctis’ life that he had shared with her.

Dr. Reseda urged Luna to tell him what each of those phrases meant and at what point in life they had been said to Noctis.

Luna then turned her attention to Dr. Reseda, trying her best to keep it concise to respect their therapist’s time table.

* * *

 

When she had asked him if his leg was alright after he fell down from the jungle gym in elementary, the other children had laughed at him, finding the way he fell and how he crumpled on the ground amusing.

Luna was the only one who showed concern as he struggled and cried out once he felt pain shoot up from his leg attempting to stand up before falling back onto the grass.

Noctis was the odd one out in the class, often sitting alone and away from everyone whilst Luna had a set of friends that she always spent time with.

“ _Is your leg alright?”_

She remembers the way he looked up at her, confused as to why someone would come to his aid that wasn’t one of their teachers but found himself smiling through tears as she sat down with him that day and waited for their teacher to come and take him to the infirmary.

He had made his first friend in her: The new girl from Tenebrae who had just recently moved to Insomnia with her father.

He’d broken his leg and was confined to a wheelchair for the foreseeable future until he recovered fully but far from being downtrodden, he was happy.

Luna took it upon herself to help the poor boy and bring him to and fro in school until he got picked up at the end of the day. Despite the glances she got from her classmates, she refused to let them get to her. A friend needed her help.

Even after recovering, she had always made sure to spend time with the lonely child after class seeing as he was either too scared or shy to approach her during the day when she was with her friends.

They had grown to become closer and eventually considered the other their best friend.

* * *

 

When she had told him that she’d stay with him, it was a particularly difficult time for Noctis.

He had been pulled from their class in the middle of one of their algebra lectures in first year high school by an announcement via PA system.

Most everyone assumed it was something he had done and that he had landed himself in hot water with the principal but Luna knew better than her peers.

It bothered her greatly that even after all these years he was still being treated like an outcast. He had accumulated a small set of friends though much to her comfort but still, it was disconcerting.

She’d made sure to make a bee line to the principal’s office after the thirty minutes left in class to make sure everything was alright. Once there, she had only found the secretary and no one else.

“Are you looking for Mr. Caelum, Ms. Fleuret?”

“Yes Ms. Highwind, do you know where he went?”

The silver haired woman gave her a somber look before explaining to her what the situation was.

“I’m afraid Mr. Caelum’s mother has been caught in an unfortunate accident and has been rushed to the hospital. Principal Leonis has taken it upon himself to rush the poor boy to be there with his mother.”

Sensing the growing trepidation in the young girl, the secretary writes up a gate pass for Luna, allowing her an early dismissal from school.

“I see you’re very worried about your friend, go ahead Ms. Fleuret and be careful going to the hospital.”

Luna takes the pass and thanks Ms. Highwind profusely before brisk walking down the halls, handing the pass to the presiding staff at the school gate.

Quickly hailing a cab, she makes her way to the Oracle District Hospital a few blocks away from their high school.

A very emotional fifteen year old should not be left alone in times like this and she staved off the growing dread in her stomach, choosing to be strong.

Making her way into the Emergency Room lobby, she politely asks the receptionist which room Aulea Caelum was situated in. She is directed down the hall and instructed to turn right at the end, third door to the right.

Thanking the receptionist, she steels herself and calmly walks along the hall, not wanting to cause a scene in such a hectic place.

Once she turns the corner, she sees Noctis sitting down on a chair; face buried in his hands, shoulders sagged.

She feared the worst and slowly approached her best friend, kneeling down in front of him and willing him to look at her.

“Noctis?”

The teen raised his head to look at her, eyes blood shot with drying tear stains on his cheeks.

“She’s gone... Mom’s passed.”

Her body turns cold and she finds herself holding him close, doing the mourning for him. He’d looked like he had already cried himself dry at this point and silently let her hold him.

She remembered the sweet woman that had raised Noctis and welcome her as her own daughter in this foreign country.

In a way, she reminded her of her own mother, Sylvia Fleuret back home at Tenebrae.

Aulea was a beautiful, caring and a steadfast woman that held much regard for Noctis’ safety and wellbeing.

To find out now that she was gone was devastating and she dreaded to think how much it hurt Noctis at this very moment.

There was no sign of Noctis’ father, Regis, in the room or in the hall.

As if sensing her question, Noctis brokenly croaked out. “Dad’s gone to arrange her paperwork. He asked me to take my time and sort my feelings out. He’s taking it just as hard and might just wander about or go straight home after fixing Mom’s release papers and death certificate.”

Luna pulls away just enough and places her hands on his cheeks as she bawled her eyes out for the heartbroken boy in front of her.

“ _I’ll stay with you.”_

She did just that. They spent the entire afternoon together, alternating between silent reflections and sharing wonderful stories of a mother that had passed.

She’d insisted on spending the night over at his house once Regis had come to collect Noctis, wanting to make sure that the boy was properly taken care of and most importantly, not alone.

* * *

 

It had only been a few years following his mother’s unfortunate passing and tragedy struck Noctis’ life once more.

His father had used work as an excuse to stave off the pain of losing his mother, often spending longer than he should at his office and taking on increasingly burdensome tasks.

At the age of fifty four but his father had noticeably aged significantly in appearance.

He had been feeling increasingly ill for a while and refused to see a doctor to have it checked, causing his health to deteriorate much faster and at an alarming speed. It soon caught up to him and he collapsed at work.

Noctis would not know of this development until he got home after spending the afternoon with Luna and her father in their condominium after their graduation practices had finished for the day.

Acute Heart Failure

Regis had always had a weak constitution and the stress of losing his wife going in tandem with his self-imposed work schedule had only served to worsen his condition, ultimately leading up to his death.

It had come to Noctis as Luna and her father dropped him off at their home. A company representative had been waiting with the news, promptly leaving him a letter addressed to him by his father.

Understanding the situation, Luna’s father decided to accompany Noctis a bit longer as they entered his now empty home.

The letter was his father’s last will. It seemed like a cruel joke to the young man. To him this letter just meant that Regis had known he was at death’s door and yet he continued to insist that nothing was wrong in front of Noctis.

He felt grief fueled rage bubble up inside him, not knowing what to do with the conflicting emotions he was experience other than to release it in such a furious manner.

“So that’s it huh dad? That’s all? What about me?! Do you care how I feel right now?!” he growls, dropping the piece of paper like it was the most offensive thing he’s ever laid eyes on.

“Well thanks a lot! You’ve left me with everything except for the one thing I needed the most: A family! All because you couldn’t handle the fact that mom was dead!” he screamed, looking up at the ceiling.

Tears of anger and frustration poured out from his eyes, knuckles turning white with how hard he’d been clenching his hands.

Luna was about to stop him had her father not put a hand to her shoulder and shook his head solemnly.

He needed to let this out.

She could only watch as he screamed his lungs out, threw profanities and writhed in agony without causing damage to anything around him.

It was torturous and horribly unbearable for her to see Noctis suffering this badly.

Only after a few minutes had he calmed down enough to where his legs gave out and he sits on the floor silently.

The father and daughter watch as he slowly crawls his way back to the letter, holding it close to his chest and apologizing to the father that would never be there to greet him again.

Luna dared to approach him, cradling the poor boy in her arms as she once did in a hospital hallway.

“They’ve left me all alone, mom and dad. I don’t have anyone left to go home to.” he lamented, pressing his face against her shoulder and clinging to her like a lifeline.

She shakes her head, nuzzling her cheek against his and trying to pacify the mourning boy in her arms anyway possible whilst denying his proclamations.

“You know that’s not true Noctis, they loved you and did not mean to leave you so soon. I’m quite sure that Aunt Aulea and Uncle Regis had given you all their love and support from day one. It may not have been in the most traditional of ways and I can’t pretend to know for sure but you know it in your heart as well Noctis.”

She gently runs a hand through his messy black hair, feeling him shiver at the touch.

“ _You’re never alone Noctis.”_

She pulls away and helps him stand up, grasping his hands in hers firmly.

He looks at her and her father with an absent expression but nods his head in acknowledgment.

“Your parents have acted like a second family to me, treating me as one of their own. I think my father and I are in agreement that we see you as one of our own too. You’ve got a family with us too Noctis.” she asserted, hoping to hammer the point to him.

She along with her father took him into their arms, providing Noctis a pillar of support in such devastating circumstances.

Fate was cruel but she would be damned if she ever let Noctis feel alone. She refused to back down and hoped that Noctis would find the fortitude to move on.

Whether it is strength that he finds from within himself or strength that he borrows from her, it didn’t matter.

She swore he would never have to be alone ever again.

* * *

 

The following year after graduating saw much change for the both of them.

Luna and Noctis would both be attending university with Luna pursuing her undergraduate degree for Public Health before going to med school proper while Noctis would be taking his bachelor’s degree in business majoring in financial consultation.

They had moved into a small apartment together with permission from Luna’s father as it was convenient for them. It was near the university which would save them time compared to if they had stayed in their respective residences and it would be easier for Luna to keep an eye on Noctis.

Noctis had decided to put the house up for sale, uncomfortable with the notion of living alone. Too many memories that only served as a reminder of what he has lost.

He had only taken the essentials with him, leaving the house fully furnished.

True to her promise, she had rarely kept the boy out of her sight after the deaths of his parents and she observed a change in her dark haired friend.

For the first few months everything seemed peaceful and content. After a semester though, Noctis had been acting out of the ordinary and it bothered her greatly.

Noctis had begun hanging out with friends that she had no knowledge of and his demeanor changed from that of a somewhat shy but honest individual to that of a pompous, arrogant and self-absorbed prick.

While his grades had remained decent to above average, his conduct was very concerning.

He would often come home much later without much as saying a word to her when she questioned him of his activities and whereabouts.

He had avoided her in campus, as if making sure that she would not find out who his new group of friends were.

Even his friends Prompto and Gladio had noticed this development and were worried about him, noting his absence from their usual hangout spots and refusal to spend much time with them.

Was this his way of moving on? Discarding his past and starting anew?

Luna would have none of it. She knew he was still hurting and taking this path was not the path he needed to go down and definitely not one for his best interests.

Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she waited for Noctis outside of his final class on the day before a long weekend; intent on cutting him off before hi disappeared with this new set of friends.

She did not have to wait long as the doors to the lecture hall opened, students piling out with the intent of getting out as soon as possible so they could enjoy the long weekend.

She greeted a few familiar faces before she saw Noctis’ messy mop come out, laughing boisterously with two older looking students with braids and tanned skin.

She frowned; she knew who these people were.

The foreign exchange students from Galahd weren’t the nicest people around and have often found themselves in trouble and not in the school yard kind of way.

It was no secret that the region was experiencing great problems with poverty which often resulted in petty crime such as theft and vandalism. These young adults weren’t any different.

Noctis locked eyes with Luna and stopped in his tracks, the Galahdian students doing the same.

She gave them a very nasty look when they casually catcalled and whistled at her, shoving them aside and pulling Noctis along with her without protest.

Once she was sure that they were away from prying eyes and ears, she sat him down on a bench.

Hands on her hips, she gave him a pointed look, ready to scold him like a mother would.

“Really Noctis? Is this really what you want? You’re hanging out with a particularly bad group of people and I don’t want to see you follow in their footsteps.” she began

Noctis rolls his eyes and scoffs, looking away whilst crossing his arms in an act of defiance against his best friend and now roommate.

“Who are you my mother Luna? What would you know about them? You’re making all these assumptions out of nothing.”

“I am most certainly not your mother but I am your best friend and I worry greatly Noctis!”

“I never asked for this, why don’t you just leave me alone?!”

Luna winced, the words Noctis so carelessly shouted at her hurting her to the core.

She could hear his ragged breathing, as if trying to control himself. Whether it was out of anger or trying his best not to cry, she didn’t know.

“Because I promised someone special to me that I would never leave them alone, no matter what happened.”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears but her expression hardened with determination as Noctis looked up in mild awe.

“ _I know you inside and out. I’ve always been here for you and will continue to do so.”_

Feeling shame well up in his stomach, he runs his hands through his hair, unable to look at the young woman in front of him.

His pride made him stubborn and unwilling to admit to his faults so easily but she could see it in his eyes that she got through to the real Noctis hidden underneath all of this fake bravado.

She reached down and ruffled his already messy hair to tease him. She got him to smile at the very least.

She knew it would take time for Noctis to fully let her words sink in but she was definitely willing to wait for him to come back to his senses and abandon this way of life.

“I’ll see you later at home alright? What did you want for din-“

Her words abruptly cut off as Noctis stands up, takes her hand in his and begins pulling her along towards the exit.

“We’ll go home together Luna. I’ve got a lot to make up for.”

The change was gradual and it took a bit of time for Noctis to fully peel away from the bad influence but it all turned out for the better. Luna got her best friend back.

* * *

 

Their current marital spat wasn’t the first time the two butted heads and early on in their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend, they had a lot of fights though none as severe as what they had been going through recently.

Suddenly, the smallest things about the other irritated them. It was probably due to the increased attention, intimacy and time they spent together, more so than they ever did before even as roommates and thus causing friction.

Putting it worse, the list of things that she found grating with Noctis had well exceeded that of his.

These things would only come to serve as kindling to the fire as both Noctis and Luna are notoriously stubborn, often refusing to adjust when it wasn’t necessary or that significant of an issue.

Most people would have chosen not to put up with that but she knew better. They were experiencing growing pains as a couple.

A lot of things were happening in their lives right now with Noctis on the last stretch of his bachelor’s degree with only his feasibility study being the major roadblock on his way to claiming his diploma.

Luna on the other hand was busy fixing her application and recommendation letter for med school, her thesis having already been approved, defended and passed.

If they were to give up on their relationship now then it would be a waste of opportunity. There was so much they could still do and it wasn’t about to go down the drain just because they let their pet peeves take precedence over their love for each other.

One night, Luna knocks on his door, hearing him mutter an irritated “What?” from inside his room.

His tone of voice did not surprise earlier. They had argued earlier this morning about laundry schedules which Noctis legitimately forgot about but only due to having been working non-stop on his feasibility study.

“We need to talk, can you come out?”

She waits for a few seconds, hearing a string of small curses coupled with shuffling noises.

That only meant one thing: he hadn’t cleaned his room **again**.

She closed her eyes and took a step back to avoid seeing the mess inside and inevitably blowing up in Noctis’ face once more.

That was not what she needed right now. She wanted to put her foot down sure but for a totally different matter.

The door opens and Noctis steps out, hair messier than usual and dressed in nothing but a loose black top as well as a pair of sweats.

He wordlessly crosses his arms and leans against the door frame, giving her an inquisitive look and expression pointed.

Had Luna not had nerves of steel and indomitable willpower, she would’ve crumpled under the intensity of his gaze.

“Well? Are you going to break up with me or something? People in relationships normally ask to talk when that kind of thing happens.”

His voice cuts through the silence of their apartment and she realizes that she’s been standing there, looking straight into his eyes for a good minute or so.

She walked up to him, deciding to forgo a lecture and opting to be more personal with her boyfriend. He always was a softie much as he hated to admit it.

“I dread to even think of the idea of breaking up with you Noctis.” she stated

“Then what did you want? Come to tell me off about the laundry again?”

He would not outright show any sign of satisfaction at her answer; his stubborn pride had seen to that. He was relieved though. The last thing he wanted was to lose Luna as his girlfriend or worse, as his best friend.

He was quite snappy and it took every bit of Luna’s persevering nature not to snap back at him with a witty retort.

She placed a hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart against her palm. To his credit, he didn’t move away or flinch from her hand when she reached out but rather, stared down at her in complete confusion and worry.

“What’s wrong?” he asks

“A lot of things Noctis,” she began, tilting her head upwards slightly so she could look directly at him, “I’m sure you’ve noticed but we’ve been fighting a lot and majority of it because of mundane things such as laundry.”

He was unused to being scrutinized like this by his girlfriend.

She was an enigma to him at this very moment. He could feel that she was conflicted and yet decided. It was a very oxymoronic way to describe this situation but it was the closest he had that would make sense of it all.

He allowed her to continue, not wanting to disturb whatever it was she wanted to get off her chest.

“I feel apprehensive with this line of thinking but I would not blame you if you had any ill thoughts or regrets about our relationship. It would be remiss of me to think that you’re entirely happy because let us face facts: we’ve been at each other’s throats often enough to cause concern from our friends.”

Her face hardens and all signs of any conflicting emotions disappeared from her face.

“ _Do I have any regrets being with you? None and it will continue to be that way because I choose to be with you, flaws and all.”_

Her selfless words struck him straight through the heart. What were they doing? She was absolutely right.

The odd fight or two here and there was normal for a couple, particularly freshly minted ones at that but this was ridiculous.

He bit his lip, fully digesting her words. She was committing herself fully to him regardless of the frustrating things he’d done that ticked her off.

It was wrong to think that he would gladly do the same to be fair to her.

No.

He would do it because it is what his heart tells him to do. His love for his best friend turned lover was far too strong to be waylaid by a few pet peeves.

“Don’t you worry one bit Luna, I feel the same way. I may seem insufferable at times and while I do get mad at some of the things you do or say, that doesn’t mean I regret taking this next step with you.” he admitted.

Noctis took her hand and pulled it up to his cheek, leaning into her soft palm.

“I love you. No amount of nagging about my dirty room or waking up early is going to convince me otherwise. We’ve been practically joined at the hip ever since you took kindly to that poor boy at the playground.”

She doesn’t say anything else. She feels like she’s accomplished something today and she’s glad that she gathered up the courage to confront Noctis about this before it got any worse.

It felt great to have this clear line of communication between the two of them.

* * *

 

Dr. Reseda listened with a small smile as Noctis lost himself in recounting these tender moments shared between her and Noctis. So much so that they had lost track of time and Dr. Reseda’s phone had begun to ring.

“Crap, did I take too long? I’m so sorry Dr. Reseda.” Noctis cursed, running a hand through his hair before letting his hands fall on his lap.

Looking down at his phone and seeing his planner pop, reminding him of lunch with one of his colleagues.

He decided to put it down. Surely his friend would understand if he was late for their meetup due to “traffic”.

He’d been so engrossed with how this married couple’s life was slowly being shared to him and marveled at how strong a bond they shared.

Conflict was inevitable and their personalities definitely clashed at times, that much he found out from Noctis’ narrative but what he truly found fascinating was their will to never give up on each other.

It had started way before they had been married but their trust in each other was still paying dividends to this day.

“Please don’t concern yourself Mr. Caelum. All is well and there is no need for apologies. We can afford to spend a bit more time today seeing as we’ve yet to hear Mrs. Caelum’s own list and story.” he reassured her.

Noctis still felt a bit guilty for eating up too much of their session time but accepted their current arrangement regardless.

He was looking forward to what his wife had written down.

“I’ll try my best to make this shorter.” she teases him, earning her a small shove on the shoulder.

“Very well then, I won’t keep this long but I can’t promise it’ll have the same effect as Noctis’ list.”

“I don’t know if that’s an insult or not.” he whined, the three of them sharing a laugh before Luna clears her throat and begins.

“ _Your eyes are very pretty, much more blue than mine.”_

“ _You’re seriously the best of the best, no other friend out there compares.”_

“ _I’m serious; my family is your family Luna! Think of us as your second family away from home.”_

“ _Do you want to grab something to eat? Like, together?”_

“ _You were my first friend, my best friend still and now, my wife.”_

Smiling to herself but not looking up to see what the other two were doing, she begins to recount the circumstances connected to each phrase with a small smile on her lips.

* * *

 

Little Luna had been waiting with Noctis for his father to come pick him up after school, her own father telling her that he would be a bit late today in fetching her.

She didn’t seem to mind the inconvenience of having to cart him around everywhere or acting as a sort of caretaker for him while he was nursing his injury.

He felt like such deadweight and hated being such a burden to her and yet she insisted.

She wasn’t under any obligation to help him at least to his knowledge.

He felt confused. Was this what a friend was?

It was a warm, bubbly feeling inside his stomach and it felt so easy to smile whenever she was around; even making conversation with her felt natural which was weird because he had never been one to talk at all.

He was fairly certain that it was because of her that he was slowly coming out of his shell, even if it is only her that he talked to frequently.

She was such a mystery to him and not just because she was the new girl in school.

Why did she want to help him? She had friends already so why spend most of her time with him? Didn’t she have better stuff to do than look after a kid who’d broken his leg foolishly?

Noctis found himself staring at the pale skinned, blonde haired girl sitting on the bench beside him.

She was taller than him but that much was to be expected since she was older.

She had a preference for wearing lighter toned colors which honestly suited her quite well.

Her eyes were a shade of blue similar to Noctis’. It was the only thing they had in common; the rest of her was his polar opposite.

He had dark hair, skin a fair shade of white and his wardrobe consisted of mainly dark colors.

They stuck out like a sore thumb when they were together like this but her eyes drew him in.

“What are you staring at?” she giggles, tilting her head sideways.

“ _Your eyes are very pretty, much more blue than mine.”_

He had blurted that out without even thinking. He had just told her what had gone through his mind right now and felt wholly embarrassed.

Luna meanwhile, was certainly surprised. This was the first time someone had noticed her eyes. It was almost always her hair or how cute she looked but this completely caught her off guard.

Recovering from the shock, she smiles and leans closer to Noctis to see if what he was saying was true.

This only caused the poor boy to shrink further into his wheelchair while she appraised the color of his eyes.

She hums and shakes her head in denial. “I don’t think so Noctis, I think yours and mine are just the same shade of blue and just as pretty.”

Noctis bit his lip and twiddled with his thumbs as she slid back onto the bench.

Had he made the wrong assumption?

Was she upset?

Should he have just kept that observation to himself?

Countless questions popped into his naive, young head. He was shaken from them as she put her hand on his head and rubbed back and forth affectionately.

“Thank you so much for noticing though Noctis. I really do appreciate it. No one’s ever talked about my eyes before.” she beamed at him.

All the apprehension and fear evaporated then and there and he smiled back. They talked, laughed and shared more stories until his father’s car came around the curb and stopped in front of them.

Regis took over from there and thanked Luna, gently helping Noctis into the backseat and folding the wheelchair to store in the trunk.

“I’ll see you again tomorrow?”

“Always, Noctis”

She waved goodbye to the boy and his father as they drove off and disappeared around the corner, leaving her to her thoughts.

She was overly giddy with what just happened and could not wait to share with her father what her friend had told her.

* * *

 

Luna busied herself with one of the various study modules stacked on her bed as she sat cross legged; Noctis sprawled out over the covers.

It was time for their exams next week and they had been studying ever since Noctis came over to her and her father’s apartment this morning.

They had breezed through some of the easier subjects as they worked together throughout the day but now they found themselves stumped with both their dreaded subject: Mathematics.

It wasn’t as though either of the teens were bad at the subject. Luna managed with above average grades while Noctis got by just fine but both with a degree of difficulty.

True to the common myth, math will always be one of the great challenges in a teenage high school student’s life.

It was getting late, the sun quickly disappearing on the horizon but they were still not done with their math module. They had been stuck on the subject for the past two hours.

“Why don’t we take a break? I can feel a headache coming.” he groaned, letting the booklet fall flat on his face, spreading his arms to his side.

“We just had a break around ten minutes ago.”

Her actions spoke a different tune though as she too closed her booklet but not without marking the page she was currently on.

She reached over and ran her hand through his hair, smiling down at him with tired eyes.

“We still have all of tomorrow to plow through math and then science. Just think about all the down time we’ll get once exam week is finished! We can visit the zoo or go to the arcade.” she reminded him.

Closing his eyes with a sigh, he concentrates on the feel of her slender fingers massaging his scalp, regaling him with the possibilities of a very open and free few days after hell week.

“ _You’re seriously the best of the best, no other friend out there compares.”_

It came out as a rumble but given the silence inside Luna’s room, she had caught every word.

She felt her cheeks flush, unable to ascertain just where the comment came from. Her best friend had never failed to surprise her at every turn.

“Just where did that comment come from Noctis? That’s very sweet of you to say.”

“It just felt right to say it. It’s all true anyways. How can I ask for more from the best of the best?”

Alright, to say that she felt embarrassed was putting it lightly. She pushes him off her bed, resulting in a loud thud and a grunt from Noctis.

“You’re one dangerous guy Noctis, all the ladies must be swooning with that smooth language you pamper me with.” she laughs whilst trying to recompose herself before Noctis caught on and teased her about it.

“Girls and I? Not really interested right now. I’m just enjoying what I can.” he emerges and clambers back onto her bed.

This made her laugh. He really did have some of the simplest views around but that’s what you needed to have sometimes.

“Here,” she called as she grabbed her math module and opened it to where she left the fold, “let’s do these problems together, maybe it’ll help us understand better. They do say that two minds are better than one.”

He gives her a content smile, probably thinking of repeating what he had just mumbled earlier but assumed that she got the hint.

Luna took pride in the fact that Noctis thought so highly of her. He was one to keep a small group of closely knit friends as compared to having lots of them so hearing him praise her that much made her giddy.

They had spent the rest of the night either slogging through equations and problems or fooling around.

Noctis had stayed the night; head nestled comfortably on Luna’s lap while her hand lay limp in his black hair.

* * *

 

If there was anything Luna hated the most, it was the feeling of imposing herself upon others. This is just how she felt when she had to spend a month living with Noctis and his family.

Her father had been invited by his company to travel to Accordo for one of their newest ventures, possibly opening up operations in the country and while he was confident in his daughter’s ability to look after herself, it would be a massive load off his shoulders knowing that she would be safe with people he trusted.

Having no family in Insomnia, they had nowhere else to look to other than the Caelums. The family was more than happy to welcome her into their home indefinitely, looking after Luna as their own.

Luna turns her head from the TV as Aulea Caelum walks into the kitchen, about to start preparations for dinner.

“Good evening Mrs. Caelum. What are we having for tonight?” she asked, fixing her white sundress as she stands up from the couch and walks from the conjoined living room to help the woman.

“Oh it’s nothing special tonight, just some fried chicken but also; how many times am I going to have to remind you dear, call me by my first name. Mrs. Caelum makes me feel so old.” she reiterated in a motherly tone whilst giving her a mirthful smile.

“I’m sorry Aulea. It’ll take some getting used to I’m afraid. It feels odd to be on a first name basis with Noctis’ parents.” she replied, reaching up in the cupboard to pull out the flour.

Aulea walks back to the kitchen counter with the container full of chicken parts, already prepared and marinated and ready to be covered in flour to add that rich flavor. “All the more reason you should be on a first name basis with me, Luna. Not only have you been here for the past week but we’ve known you ever since you befriended and helped little Noctis all those years ago.”

The two women get started with preparations and hear the sound of a car pulling up. Noctis and Regis were home.

“We’re home!” called Regis, hanging his coat up by the door as he and his son entered their humble abode.

While Regis looked to at least be proper in his work attire, the same couldn’t be said about Noctis in his sweaty and dirty football uniform but that was to be expected since he did just get picked up from practice.

“What’s cooking?” he probed before disappearing into a separate door to dump his dirty clothing into a hamper, re-emerging in the room with a noticeably lighter bag.

“Your mother and I are preparing fried chicken. Famished?” Luna asked, Aulea quietly observing the interaction between the two teens.

“You bet. Practice was killer today.” he groaned, walking to his room to get changed into more comfortable wear.

“Take a shower before you come to the table honey!” Aulea called out to him only to get a yell of affirmation from her son.

Luna smiled as the house suddenly came to life. Noctis’ household gave off a warm vibe that could only come from a closely knit and happy family.

She smiled, feeling very lucky to get an unfiltered view of how her best friend lived his life and yet somehow, she still felt out of place.

It wasn’t anything to do with Regis, Aulea or Noctis at all; rather, it was born from a deep seated insecurity of hers.

Luna would not deny that she felt homesick from time to time and missed her mother dearly. She would go and visit Tenebrae whenever the vacations come along but the days seemed to pass quickly when she was home, the opposite whenever she was here in Insomnia.

She felt like she was imposing upon such a happy home, a total stranger despite all of the assurances from the sweet family that she found herself staying with in the meantime.

A part of her wished her father would come back soon so she could lessen the burden that she was undoubtedly putting on the household.

Luna was on flour duty, covering the marinated chicken pieces in the powder before Aulea took them and submerged them into the cooking oil-filled pan, ready to be fried to a golden crisp.

Noctis emerged from his room, all cleaned and freshened up and took his place at the couch, kneading his aching feet.

Regis had disappeared into the family garden, choosing to bide the time and relax by watering their plants and flowers.

Again, Luna is hit with the sense of disconnection from what was happening around her. She couldn’t find anywhere she could just fit in naturally.

“You’ve done plenty dear, why don’t you spend some time with Noctis in the living room? This won’t take long and I can handle it from here.” the older woman thanks her graciously.

Luna gives her a meek smile and nods her head. She cleans and washes her hands first before joining Noctis on the couch, pulling his feet up and making him lay sideways while massaging his feet much to his surprise.

“Thanks a bunch Luna.” he breathed out whilst closing his eyes as he settled on the couch cushion.

She continued to be haunted by her thoughts while she kneaded her hands against his skin. She gradually moved up from his feet up to his calf muscles with a distant look to her face.

Unbeknownst to her, Noctis had been observing her as he usually did whenever they settled into relative silence.

Luna had been doing that more often as of late, particularly since she began staying here over a week ago.

“Is there something bothering you Luna? You’re squeezing a bit too hard plus you’ve got that wistful look.” he asked out of concern.

Luna lets go of his legs, allowing him to sit upright and move closer while she absentmindedly combed her hand through her hair.

“I’ve been thinking a lot Noctis and I truly appreciate you and your family taking me in while my father is away on business but I can’t help but feel like I’m taking up too much space in your household and not in just the physical aspect.” she confessed.

Shocked at her negative outlook, he was quick to dissuade her from that line of thinking.

“You know as well as I do that you never were and never will be a burden to us Luna.” he declares wholeheartedly, clasping her hands tightly in his.

Luna shuffles uncomfortably as she held his gaze, feeling him squeeze her hands. “I understand and am very grateful Noctis but-”

“ _I’m serious; my family is your family Luna! Think of us as your second family away from home.”_

He had cut her off before she could continue to reason in circles.

Their exchange was apparently loud enough for Regis and Aulea to hear as they were setting up the table for dinner, the chicken already on a big serving plate.

“He’s right Luna. You could never be a parasite or a leech to our family because you are practically the daughter we never had.” Regis affirmed

She looks back at her best friend who was giving her a knowing smirk and a raised eyebrow; as if to say ‘I told you so.’

It would take more than a few words to completely pull her away from the feeling of imposing upon them but she was very grateful for the loving reminder that she was part of this family regardless; insecurities and all.

Luna closes the distance between them and wraps Noctis in a tender embrace, burying her face in his shoulder.

“Thank you so much Noctis.” she mumbles against the fabric of his shirt.

This display in front of his parents caused the teen much embarrassment, earning him teasing looks from them. Of course they had known about him developing feelings for his childhood best friend.

He carefully embraces her as well, savoring the feeling of having her in his arms and choosing to ignore the grief he was getting from Regis and Aulea.

They separated from each other and stood up, walking towards the waiting adults so that they could begin eating dinner together as a family.

* * *

 

Noctis was hanging out with Prompto and Gladio after classes had ended for the day, the three of them making plans to spend the entire weekend at his house. They only had two things in mind: Games and Pigging Out.

The conversation was very animated with Prompto practically yelling out suggestions for food choices despite knowing they’ll just revert to ordering a ton of pizza, wings and copious amounts of caffeinated and carbonated drinks.

Noctis is taken out of discussion with his friends as he spots Luna waving animatedly at him from across the school lawn.

“Looks like Luna needs you Noct.” Prompto teases, elbowing him at the side and causing him to grunt at the dull pain it left against his ribs.

“Typical Noct, your ass is always leaving us bachelors in the dust while always being free for your girl.” Gladio jokes as well, shoving him towards the girl in question whilst shaking his head in a jokingly admonishing manner.

Noctis throws both of them dirty looks before shaking his head. “I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow alright? Bring the good stuff.”

“Yeah yeah just go on and get with your girlfriend and play nice!” Gladio calls out loudly.

A few of the students lounging about on the grass or on benches and tables laughed while he made a bee-line towards Luna.

He’ll have to make sure to get Gladio back for this stunt. The rumor of him liking Luna had spread fast and it was because of things like this that almost the entire student body was aware of his infatuation with her.

He firmly believed that Luna knew, there was no way she was unaware of his budding feelings and it made him wonder if he should make a move sometime soon.

Luna was a beautiful girl, the picture of an ideal girlfriend. She was smart, pretty and caring.

Noctis had a girl or two confess to him but he only had eyes for her. That was true for most of the male population of the school though and it bothered him to no end.

She was not bereft of suitors as she would often complain and rant to Noctis about the countless love letters and small gifts she would receive periodically from secret admirers or those bold enough to approach her directly.

He was afraid that one of them would sweep her off her feet and yet she continued to reject every single one of them.

It made him happy and confused; happy for obvious reasons and confused because there was absolutely no way that Luna was rejecting all of these confessions and requests if she didn’t already have her eye on someone.

“Hey, what’s up Luna? I thought student council had a meeting this afternoon after school let out?” he questions her, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders.

She simply laughed and inclined her head in a random direction to invite him to walk with her.

“I’m feeling a bit rebellious today. They won’t miss me if I abstain from a meeting for one day would they?” she shrugged.

He laughed at how immature she sounded right now. He was no stranger to these sudden moods to go against her norm every now and then but Noctis was more than happy to indulge her as they walked along the pavement aimlessly.

“I suppose if the topic is that irrelevant for you to decide to skip out.” he laughs before continuing, “So what’s this about Luna? Is there something bothering you?” he reiterates.

“It’s nothing in particular. I just felt the need to spend some time with you. Don’t lie; you’ve missed me just as much as I’ve missed you. I’ve been busy with a combination of schoolwork, student government projects as well as taking care of father since he came down with the flu a few days ago.” she grinned.

“Well you’re not wrong there Luna, I have missed you. Still though, you can’t be that lonely without me, you’ve got all these guys coming after you asking for a date.” he chuckled, trying to probe her for information.

“I can’t say I particularly enjoy the attention. It’s starting to be aggravating if I’m being honest, I hate having to turn them down and bear the guilt of rejecting them.”

“You were always so nice, that’s what’s particularly amazing about you among other things.”

A look of astonishment surfaces from the girl before she laughs and decides to flirt with him. “Oh my, Noctis Caelum, are you flirting with your best friend?”

Working up the courage to continue messing around with her, he continues his attempts to sweet talk her.

“It depends, is it working Lunafreya Fleuret?” he smirks as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close to his side.

They had just passed by the home economics garden and were straight on their way to the gymnasium and oval track, farther and farther away from the gates of their high school, the crowds of students milling about slowly thinning until no one else was around them.

“If it were any other girl, I’m sure they would be dying right now but not this one. This girl is special.” she exclaimed, pushing him off of her before running along the track oval and onto the smooth turf of the football field in the middle.

He shakes his head and chucks his bag haphazardly onto the grass as he runs after her.

He caught up to her with ease, being a football varsity himself and soon wrapped his arms around her, spinning her around but not letting her feet touch the ground.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re so playful and you tell me that none of these guys impress you enough for you to go out on at least one date with them?”

She wraps her legs around his torso, holding onto his shoulders for support while gazing down into his eyes.

“Maybe it’s because I’m waiting for one special guy to ask me out.” she remarks

He made sure she was secure against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist to make sure he doesn’t drop her unceremoniously as had once happened before.

His musings from earlier had just been confirmed and he was a nervous wreck right now.

“Is that so? Do I know the guy? Is he nice?” he starts questioning her without giving much breathing room to reply.

“Well, would you rather I drag this out or be straightforward with you?” she inquired as she unhooked her legs from around him, wriggling free of his grasp and jumping down onto the soft grass.

He was sweating bullets. He didn’t know which was worse; finding out she liked another guy in a slow and agonizing way or just go ahead for the headshot to end his misery in one fell swoop.

He figured he should just suck it up and find out straight and fast.

“Hit me, who is it?”

She walks up to him before bopping his nose with her index finger.

“It’s you silly. I’ve been waiting for you.”

The look of realization dawning on his face made her laugh out loud; snorting as she usually does when unable to control her laughter.

“Wow.” he trailed off, completely spellbound by what Luna had just told him.

It was her turn to feel abashed. He was taking far too long to reply to her.

Luna tried to look around for something to distract her while she fidgeted.

It took a solid minute for Noctis to shake himself back to reality before scratching the back of his head.

“ _Do you want to grab something to eat? Like, together?”_

A brilliant smile forms on her lips as she laces their fingers together. Sure they’ve done this before but it held so much more meaning now that they’ve essentially confessed to one another.

It was a wholly different feeling finding out that your crush harbored deep seated feelings for you as well compared to finding out from rumors and gossip.

Hearing him ask her out on a date straight from his lips was divine. She was ecstatic, elated, jubilated and everything in between.

“I wouldn’t want it with anyone else but you.” she says.

They would walk out of school together, Luna’s lipstick smeared on his cheek for everyone to see. He didn’t bother wiping it off.

Normally he would’ve been embarrassed by such a thing as it was evident that their peers would inevitably tease and pester him but he didn’t care about that at all right now.

He had a girlfriend and she had a boyfriend. Both couldn’t be any happier for it to be their best friend.

* * *

 

They lay together in the dark, only a thin blanket covering their bodies as they huddled close together.

The gentle sounds of the waves lapping against the shore outside their cabin served as a lullaby to the tired couple.

She trailed her fingers lazily across his bare chest, blonde hair a mess, skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat despite the cold night air coming in through the windows.

“If I get to fall asleep like this every night from now on, I can die happy.” she whispered calmly.

“Hopefully not anytime soon, we’d just gotten married after all. We have so much to look forward to in our lives.” he replies.

She felt his hand run up and down her back in a pleasing manner.

“It was merely a figure of speech honey. I’m just perfectly content and happy with what we have achieved so far together.”

He hums in reply, allowing silence to wash over their tired forms once more.

Luna was still trying to keep up with the events that led them here on their honeymoon, tired from their passionate love making and currently just basking in each other’s presence and warmth.

“Ever looked back on our lives so far and wondered how we got here?” he wondered.

Luna nods her head against his shoulder. “I’ll be honest, I have been taking a retrospective look at our lives together ever since the night before our wedding Noctis and every time I come to the same conclusion.”

She pauses for a while and lifts her lithe form up so she can look upon his face from above.

“I’m a very lucky woman to have met you in the first place. That day in kindergarten when you broke your foot was probably the single most important event in my life and I am so blessed to have found my soul mate so early in life.”

“You’ve got quite a romanticized outlook on our relationship don’t you? Not that I mind one bit, I find it endearing.” he remarks as he pulls her down onto him, their faces inches from the other.

“ _You were my first friend, my best friend still and now, my wife.”_

She didn’t know that such simple words could make her heart melt all over again for this man.

Luna found herself short of breath, nose clogging up and eyes welling up with tears and for once he remained quiet. He allowed her to feel all of these things unhindered.

His presence there was enough comfort to her a she cried happily, burying her face in his neck while he whispered sweet nothings to her.

* * *

 

“And scene.” she adds once she’s finished.

Her cheeks were a bit flushed due to the last moment she recounted but was nonetheless proud of herself for having relayed such precious moments to Noctis who sat there with a small smile on his lips.

“Very well put Mrs. Caelum. Such a wonderful and colorful life you both have led and I’m very happy to know that both of you hold intersecting points in your relationship very close to your hearts. It’s important to know what anchors you both have for the other.” Dr. Reseda announced.

He closed up their folder, filled with new notes and only leaving a sheet of paper on the table before continuing.

“Perhaps a more appropriate analogy would be those padlocks where partners write their names and place them on either a bridge or monument as a symbol of their undying love before throwing the key away for good measure. The both of you have steadily accumulated padlocks on your own monument as a symbol of all these precious memories that you’ve made together. Wouldn’t it be nice to add more padlocks?” he smiles in finality, getting a genuine response from husband and wife.

Satisfied and feeling accomplished with this session despite it having run past their allotted time, he decides to close it up but not without leaving the couple without homework.

“As I mentioned earlier, due to the lack of time for this session, I am entrusting the both of you with a simple exercise that you can take home with you.”

Noctis picks the small piece of paper up with a set of simple instructions. It was a relatively small activity but one that put something that had been missing in their recovery so far under the spotlight.

They close up their session and talk about the date and time of their next before both doctor and patients parted ways.

Noctis had been thinking about the final memory Luna shared from earlier in the day in Dr. Reseda’s office.

When was the last time he had sex with his wife?

Noctis was a man who valued the physical aspects of a relationship but held the emotional aspect in just as high regard.

To someone looking from the outside, one would say that he had a very high libido. While true to a certain extent, it was also an ignorant assumption.

He had spent a majority of his life being cared for by his parents but with less physical affection than he would like to admit.

He did not blame his father or mother as they were trying their best to secure a bright future for him but that meant time away from the house.

He grew to rely much on Luna and that is where his desire for physical intimacy stemmed from.

Hearing her recall their honeymoon night stirred up a burning need inside of him. Had she meant to pull that specific memory up to tell him something? Was she showing him a sign that she was ready to take their recovery further forward or was he reading too much into this?

He did not know what to do and the activity they had been given did not help his line of thinking at all.

Pulling the folded up piece of paper from his pocket and opening up, he read the simple instructions out to himself once more and let out a heavy sigh.

“Extended Cuddle Time. It’s easy to get distracted with a cell phone, tablet, or book at bedtime, but cuddling is actually a much better way to end your day. The chemicals that are released when we cuddle with our partner improve our mood, deepen our connection, and can even help us sleep better.”

He had not told Luna of their homework yet. She was taking a nap on their couch and did not want to disturb her rest.

Meanwhile, his thoughts made sure not to give him any. He was stuck in between being reserved and respecting the pace of their recovery and trying to push forward again with being more physically intimate.

He would be kidding himself if he said that things were all back to normal now. They had been making steady progress and were ahead on schedule, all things considered with their therapist but certain aspects have yet to be addressed.

They still had work to do and he could only hope that Luna was in the same mindset as he was.

Noctis hoped that she was ready.

He hadn’t felt this nervous since he planned to propose to Luna years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait!
> 
> I am writing this fic on my spare time after work and coupled with the difficulty of writing this particular story, it eats up a lot of time.
> 
> I hope you like this latest chapter though! I decided to flesh out their lives a bit more so you as readers can better get to know these two.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MATURE/EXPLICIT WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER
> 
> This chapter will have some lime/sexual content in it so be warned

Three more sessions had passed since they were given the extended cuddle time assignment and the question still hung in the back of Noctis’ mind.

He had yet to work up the courage to ask Luna about his issue with their sexual activity and honestly felt awkward and a bit guilty for lingering on such thoughts.

He didn’t want to make it seem like he was grasping at the opportunity to have sex with her and sound like a horny teenager.

He had been constantly trying to find ways to broach this particular topic to his wife and to a certain extent, Dr. Reseda as well but he would get cold feet before being able to talk to Luna and could not find the time to approach their therapist about this issue without having Luna with him during their sessions.

It was eating him up slowly from the inside and got Luna worried.

She had found him spacing out constantly at home and just felt disconnected in general. He wasn’t cold to her by any means but he seemed so far off even when they spent time together.

Hoping to address this concern, she was determined to open this up with Dr. Reseda on their tenth session later today.

They were currently eating breakfast together before getting ready to go to Dr. Reseda’s clinic.

It was uncomfortably quiet for Luna and Noctis both.

He was absentmindedly chewing on his toast, eyes clouded with uncertainty.

“What do you think we’ll be doing today?” she asks him while filling her bowl of oats with milk.

“Nothing too hectic I think. The parlor games he had us playing last week was pretty big so maybe he’ll have us do more talking or reflecting today.” he mumbles monotonously.

Luna nods in response, taking a spoonful and chewing on it while she took a careful look at her husband from across the table.

His hair was a mess and sticking out in random and funny angles. His gray skull shirt was crumpled up against his toned frame, most probably due to her clinging to him while they slept.

She felt renewed and even more content ever since they had been asked to be physically closer. She had missed cuddling up to him and feeling his warmth envelop her.

The feeling of falling asleep and waking up to him so close to her gave her a sense of security that he was there with her.

Somehow though, she felt that this was the cause, or at least partially the cause of his current problems and while she wanted to get to the bottom of this herself, she did not want to pry for fear of worsening the situation and possibly undoing much of the progress they had achieved.

Noctis meanwhile, kept mostly to himself whilst spreading butter on his second piece of toast, taking subtle glances at his wife.

She by no means wore much in terms of revealing clothing. Luna was a pretty modest girl though she wasn’t deeply conservative by any means.

She would occasionally wear things that would get a rise out of him such as short shorts or thin tank tops. Whether she was aware of the effect she had on him or not, he didn’t know.

Luna was wearing her typical sleepwear which consisted of a baggy pair of sweats and a top that showed off a bit of her navel. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun to avoid getting in the way of her meal.

To Noctis, she was the picture of sexy right now and it was making him uncomfortable.

It made him frustrated and sad that he would be feeling restless about things like this with his own wife!

These kinds of urges and feelings should be normal and welcome shouldn’t they?

Deciding he had enough toast, he quietly slid his chair back and collected his plate.

“You mind if I take the shower first?” he called out to her while he washed the crumbs and trails of butter off the plate.

“Go ahead hun, I’ll be a while.” she replied. Her bowl was still half-full. She currently had her eyes on her phone, scrolling through updates in the hospital.

While not as buried in her work as before since she made a conscious effort to dial it back, she still had her responsibilities. Noctis could not fault her for that.

Once he had finished cleaning up, he entered their room and brought a change of clothing and laid them out on the bed: A simple shirt and pants combo with his favorite black polo top.

He then entered their bathroom, stripping himself bare and putting his clothes into the hamper whilst making a mental note to get started on laundry this weekend.

He stepped into the shower and turned the handle onto warm, allowing the water to cascade down onto his body.

Noctis allowed his thoughts to drift and unfortunately, only one thing was on his mind.

Imagining his wife in the shower with him, bathing together and possibly...

“No!”

He quickly turned the shower to cold and feeling shame wash over him like the water.

Counting to ten and breathing deeply to calm himself down, he began to take a proper shower this time.

Emerging from the bathroom with nothing but a towel on his person, he is greeted by the sight of Luna in nothing but her underwear, back turned from him as she perused through their closet for something to wear.

She must have heard the door open as she questioned him without turning around.

“Did something happen in there? I heard you shout.”

Averting his gaze from her pale body, he quickly dresses up, able to avoid looking at her even as she crossed the room to head into their bathroom.

This was normal, what the hell was wrong with him? They’ve gone around each other in less clothing that even this and yet this time it triggered him badly.

“No, nothing. Just slipped a bit and managed to catch myself before I fell over in the shower.” he answered.

Was she deliberately trying to do this to him to tease him or something? He refused to believe that she was doing this to toy with him. It must be some kind of unspoken signal.

“Oh alright. You should be a bit more careful next time. We wouldn’t want you to bust your head against the tile.” she said.

The door to the bathroom was partially open. He swallowed thickly, dreading to ask the question.

“Any reason why you were just in your underwear?”

Luna stopped whatever she was doing inside he bathroom. That just confirmed it. He was feeling insecure about things of that nature.

It made her a bit sad. If she had known from the start, she would not have been so liberal and almost direct with her actions.

She had to reply to him, he was waiting on her.

“You’re my husband Noctis. Did I not promise the entirety of myself to you? Seeing my body in nothing but my underwear should not be something you’re hesitant about.”

Hoping it had gotten across to her husband, she waited in return for some sort of reply.

After a minute of solid silence, she let out a sigh and stepped into the shower.

This was definitely something that needed to be addressed at the soonest.

“I won’t lie Mrs. Caelum, I did have something planned for the both of you today but if this concern is of the utmost priority and needing my guidance I will gladly help to the best of my ability.” Dr. Reseda reassures Luna.

Noctis had gone to the restroom as soon as they got to the clinic, giving Luna ample time to get Dr. Reseda up to speed.

“Noctis and I are experiencing a problem regarding physical intimacy. To be specific: sex.” she confessed.

This topic would normally have anyone blushing hard but she was talking to a professional; a licensed and proven medical doctor. Not to mention that this was affecting their current relationship as well.

“I see. Is the problem that Mr. Caelum is averse to the idea or vice versa?” he surmises, earning him a nod of confirmation from the concerned woman.

He hums in confirmation, making mental note. “This is quite common and I think I can mediate for the both of you for this session. Don’t worry, you won’t be incurring any additional charges for this.”

Just in time, Noctis enters the office and sits down beside Luna and while the atmosphere wasn’t tense, it was quite obvious that something was off.

“Good morning Mr. And Mrs. Caelum. Welcome to your ninth session. This is quite the milestone for the both of you. Moving to the matter at hand, Mrs. Caelum has brought to light something that concerns her greatly.” he begins as Noctis notices the absence of any material on the table.

“In response to that, today’s session will be special and involves a topic that couples tend to be reticent and hesitant to talk about even with medical professionals such as myself, namely sex.”

The dark haired man feels his blood run cold. Was this really going to be their topic for today?

“Worry not, I am oath bound to uphold my client’s privacy and I promise the both of you that I will not and will never pry for very sensitive information.”

Both nod in understanding as Noctis steels himself. There was no getting away now that Dr. Reseda had opened the topic.

He looked over to Luna who seemed afraid of him. He surmised it was because she was afraid that he would be upset for voicing it out to Dr. Reseda.

Noctis gingerly reached out for her hand and gave her a comforting squeeze. He understood her reasons for seeking help. If she had been aware this entire time, it must have been doubly hard on her and realized that they needed assistance.

Luna smiled at him and visibly relaxed, comforted by the fact that Noctis bore no ill will towards her.

“We trust you Dr. Reseda.” Noctis murmured.

“How should we go about this doctor? Do we have to fill out some sort of form or worksheet?” Luna inquired, also noticing the lack of any material on the table in front of them.

Dr. Reseda shakes his head and places his hands on his lap. “Nope. No worksheets and no activities. We’re going old fashioned and simply go for a question and answer session to properly address this new problem that has surfaced.”

He allows the couple a few minutes to relax and better prepare themselves for the inevitably difficult topic ahead.

“I will be asking a few simple questions regarding your sex life but again, nothing specific. These will be very superficial and will serve to help me help you. Are we all up to speed?” he inquired, earning him a nod from both.

Noctis takes a deep breath and feels Luna’s hand squeeze back. She was just as nervous as he was.

“Let us get started with some of the tamer questions. When was the last time you’ve been intimate with each other in that sense?”

Already a red flag. The both of them had to think for a bit before arriving at an answer and even then, it was broad at best.

“It was months ago I think, probably close to a year.” Noctis answered.

“Could you tell me what’s transpired since then and why you think the both of you stopped?”

It was Luna’s turn to answer for the couple. “I believe it was because of the growing rift between us. It was around the time that our problems started to surface and become more concrete. At that point, it became difficult for us to be intimate in that way.”

It was a good answer and one that spoke volumes. No wonder they were hesitant. A full year of skirting around each other would contribute greatly to the deterioration of a married couple’s drive to be physically intimate.

“Would you say that it was not your priority?”

“In a manner of speaking yes,” she replied with a look of regret, “I had increasingly become busy because of my duties at the hospital and while I cannot fault my husband for the way he acted back then, he also felt distant. That much has been resolved between us though and we really would like to get back into the swing of things and resume normally as we had once before.” she continued.

“That is a comforting notion and will no doubt help to speed things up so we can overcome this hurdle. Now, a more challenging one for the both of you. I want you to think and ask yourself and each other how you can make intimacy a priority.” he encouraged the couple.

It was going well so far for Noctis. Luna knew not to pressure him too much in answering and gladly took to answering for them when he failed to come up. They were working together and that was something they needed to do a lot of.

His focus returns to the question. How could they make intimacy a priority?

It threw him off, he had no idea they were supposed to make such a thing a priority.

Sure he was quite the touchy person and enjoyed a lot of cuddling and the like but to make sexual contact a priority in their married life?

He had always assumed that that stopped once the honeymoon was over.

“How about getting started with something small such as passionate kissing? It doesn’t have to lead up to sex right then and there and we don’t necessarily have to get right into things, we can slowly work our way towards coming back. We’ll gradually up the ante at an appropriate pace.” Noctis offers.

“That is quite true, yes! That sounds like a perfect way to get started. I must admit, I was anxious with the though of jumping into something we haven’t share with one another for an extended period of time so this is a welcome start.” she replied with a smile.

She continued from there, offering her own proposal. “I suppose we could also create more opportunities for intimacy, free up some time on days where not much is going on?”

“That sounds fair, we’ve always been focusing on other things that it has fallen down the list. Freeing up some time would help in giving us more opportunities to initiate.”

“That sounds like a good start,” she said, “we’ll work on it a bit more.”

Dr. Reseda listened to the two exchange ideas on how better to make intimacy a part of their marriage once more. From different lifestyle changes as well as trying new things to further aid the mood; he was impressed the synergy the two had in going back and forth with ideas.

Deciding that it would help the couple better if they had a reminder, he went to grab his notepad and began writing down what they had agreed upon as well as some of the ideas they had passed off, thinking that they might want to come back to these in the future.

He tore out the page and handed it to Noctis once they had finished their discussion.

“Would you say that it was a productive brainstorm considering what the two of you have arrived at?” he asked, gesturing to the notes.

Luna moved closer and browsed through their ideas along with Noctis and gave a satisfied nod.

“Yes, thank you very much for writing them down for us Dr. Reseda. These will help greatly and serve as a guideline or a road map.” Noctis commented with a small smile.

She was happy as they were slowly coming to terms and working on a solution together.

“It is no problem at all. Now, for the next question I have for the both of you; How do you think your sex life will change through the coming years?” he asked, the question hanging for a bit as the couple sought to understand better.

“To give you both some sort of perspective, your lives will continue to change. It is inevitable. Jobs may change, your bodies will change, children may be down the line and all these events that will come to pass. How do you see your sex life changing once life catches up?” he added.

A look of understanding dawns on Noctis’ face while Luna seemed contemplative.

“I for one would like to protect or preserve it as much as I could. That being said, change is inevitable as you’ve mentioned and we will have to adjust to accommodate said changes and hope that our sex life evolves with it.” he explained to Dr. Reseda who in turn, begins to write down on his notepad once more.

Luna ponders for a bit more, the question clearly piquing her interest.

She had always wanted to have a family with Noctis. Just the picture of having a daughter running around the house being chased by her father made her flush with warmth.

If that were to transpire, they would have to redefine what intimacy meant to the both of them. They wouldn’t just be living their lives as two people but for three, possibly more.

Then there was the matter of actually having their time being eaten up by a combination of work as well as family. It would prove to be a challenge to find a common time between the two of them to actually be intimate.

Bodily changes would play a factor too as they get older and that would have to be taken into account.

Menopause was unavoidable for any woman and it brought along with it complications that would further affect their sex life as a married couple.

All these things were big hurdles for her but hearing Noctis continue to commit himself into trying once more gave her courage.

“Communication will play a very important role once more if we are to continue with our sex life long after we have left your care. I am of the same mind as my husband. We will have to adapt and go along as it happens. I can’t see much in the way of preparing ourselves other than to constantly communicate and place trust in the other.” she shared.

A few moments of Dr. Reseda scribbling down on his notepad passes before he tears the page out and hands it over to Noctis as well.

“Sound answers and one that I believe the both of you have thought about properly. It is no joking matter after all. We’re making good headway and are around the half-hour mark. Would you prefer to take a break or continue with the line of questioning?” he asked the couple.

Noctis and Luna looked at each other, silently asking if they should stop for now or push on.

They were at about the half-hour mark in terms of their scheduled session.

He decided that the more time they got with Dr. Reseda’s consultation, the better the outcome and so Noctis asked to continue.

“Very well. This next question comes under the assumption that the both of you have begun to get intimate with each other once more. How will you keep that spark alive?”

Another difficult question to answer.

Noctis sought the answer within himself and basing it off of what they had answered for the previous query.

Luna, meanwhile, was already formulating something in her head. She began detailing what she had in mind.

“It wouldn’t be prudent for the both of us to constantly stick a single format or formula if we continue engaging in sexual intimacy. I assume things would get pretty bland and boring if we kept doing the same things every single time.” she explained with a light tinge of red on her cheeks.

“That is a sound observation Mrs. Caelum. That is true. If you would like to continue being physically intimate for years to come, you must strive to liven things up in the bedroom. Try new things but I must warn you that it is possible to strain your relationship in this way. You will encounter things that the other does not want to do by any means so I suggest making a list of things that you are open to try or are unsure of, things that you wish to try and finally things that you absolutely do not want to get into.” he proposed, offering a blank page from his notepad as well as an extra pen to Luna and Noctis.

Noctis and Luna get started, communicating in hushed tones as they struggled to form a credible list into “Red, Yellow and Green”.

“You don’t necessarily have to come up with an extensive list right now, just a preliminary one to set things up once the both of you are ready to add more in your own time. Talk about surface level such as foreplay and the like before incorporating specific fetishes if your prefer. It is important not to rush into something without properly thinking and communicating with your partner. You might end up doing something you regret.”

Noctis thanks Dr. Reseda, breathing a mental sigh of relief. He was definitely not ready to do this step yet.

Ten minutes pass by and Luna takes the list and places it along with the other torn pages and putting them in her handbag so that they could focus on their therapist once more.

Their consultation was approaching its end as Dr. Reseda was preparing his concluding advice.

“I think we’ve had a fairly productive session today regarding sex and intimacy. We’ve broken down some barriers and dispelled some fears but more importantly, we’ve built up a solid framework from which the both of you can work upon together even without my help.” He closes his notepad and stands up.

“Thank you very much Dr. Reseda. Again, I apologize for derailing your plans for our session today.” Luna bowed, apologizing once again to the good doctor who waves it off.

“We’ll have time for that and more next session so no need to worry. I am glad to help the both if you to the best of my abilities.” he answered, walking back to his desk and looking at the calendar.

“Speaking of our next session,” he said, “We won’t be seeing each other for at least a week or two as I will be in Niflheim for a conference. Long way to the other side of the world after all and we doctors always have to be sharing knowledge and improving our research.”

Noctis and Luna nodded in understanding. It would also be a good opportunity for them to grow together in both their continuing efforts to repair their marriage as well as take this new step together.

“Normally, I would be leaving assignments to my patients if I’m gone for this long but I think with what we’ve discussed today you won’t be needing any extra weight. You’ve got your work cut out for you. Just keep in mind, these things take time. Don’t rush into anything you’re not prepared for and most of all, have fun with it.” he smiled, bidding the couple farewell as he showed them out of the office.

* * *

 

Things weren’t awkward once they got home that afternoon but it was quiet. Luna had gone to the convenience store across their condominium a bit to restock their snacks and that left Noctis alone to his thoughts.

He felt like he was a teenager again with raging hormones.

Leaning back against the sofa and taking in a deep breath to calm himself down, he tries to think of ways to get things started.

He was eager to get started, shame be damned.

He wanted his wife.

Noctis would have to do it in the proper channels of course. He was not about to force himself on his wife and ruin all of the work they’ve put in together towards their recovering marriage.

The question hanging in head at the moment truly had him stumped.

What could he do with Luna that wouldn’t be overstepping any boundaries?

He’d have to ask her and establish some ground rules first but at the same time, he wanted to surprise her without seeming desperate and touch starved.

He continued to think for a good amount of time until Luna returned, greeted by the sight of him just staring at their TV which wasn’t even on.

“That’s a very interesting show you’re watching Noctis, what’s it about?” she playfully asked, closing and locking their door behind her and heading straight to the kitchen to restock their cupboards with the snacks she bought.

He snaps up after hearing her voice, standing up and moving to the kitchen to help her. “Sorry, I was just spacing out.”

“Thinking of?”

“Well...” he trailed off, unsure of how to broach the topic to her.

Luna caught on almost immediately and set down the bag of chips she was about to push into the overhead cupboard.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. It took a bit but his arms eventually found themselves wrapped around her back as well.

“We’ll take this one step at a time Noctis.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to scare you away by doing something you don’t want. I’m afraid that I might lose myself in the mood and disregard the way you feel.” he murmured.

“Oh honey.” she drawled in a comforting tone.

She pulls away at arms length, holding him firmly by the shoulders.

“There is nothing you can do that would drive me away from you because I trust you with my life. If the notion of you losing yourself in throes of passion has you worried then let me dispel them for you.”

She takes a small breath and closes her eyes as she prepares herself for what she is about to tell him.

“I would rather you do just that Noctis because it only means that you feel that strongly for me. We’ve set our limitations and listed them down remember?” she reminded him.

He bit his lip and nodded, focusing solely on her eyes.

“If that still does not comfort you in knowing that I am giving you permission and consent to do what you want, then perhaps a safe word will.” she offered.

“Something funny that just kills the mood.” he suggested with a small laugh, pulling her flush against him once more.

“Barfs?” she asked him quietly.

“Sure, let’s go with that.” he laughed as he led her around the kitchen in a small dance before gently swaying with her to non-existent music in their living room.

She was enjoying this peaceful and quiet moment with him, forgetting about all the sexual tension that has been simmering between them for the past few weeks ever since she brought it up in a previous session unknowingly.

“You know I love you right?”

“Always.”

She pulled him down to her for a slow and loving kiss.

He was happy to oblige and reciprocated with just as much emotion, holding her tight while he struggled to decide if he should take it a step further.

“It’s alright Noctis, I’m yours.” Her lips ghosted over his in a husky tone, her breath warm against his mouth.

She was being very enticing to him right now, willing him to push her buttons.

She felt excitement bubble up withinin her along with the subtle beginnings of something primal. It was as if they were back in time when things were much simpler and more carefree.

Noctis needed no further encouragement and applied more pressure onto her lips. His tongue slipped past her parted lips and wasted no time in exploring her mouth.

Shocked by how hungrily he had sought her out, her knees bucked and her legs gave way, causing her to fall onto the couch behind her.

Noctis’ lips had not left hers for one second.

Getting over her initial surprise, she kisses him back and pulling on him tightly.

It was a clumsy kiss. Their teeth gnashed together at times, their tongues aimlessly fought against the other with no particular rhythm.

He was right. He’d lost himself in the mood but he didn’t care and neither did Luna it would seem. In fact, she welcomed it.

Noctis pulled away from her lips and dove straight down to her neck, planting kisses up and down.

He was drunk on her. Or was it high? All he knew was that he couldn’t get enough of Luna at this point.

She ran her fingers through his hair, making it messier than usual. She was holding herself back from making too much noise.

“I want to hear you moan for me Luna.” he commanded.

Something about the tone in his voice made her shiver.

Luna waited for him to repeat the request before acquiescing and dragging out a quite yet sensual sounding moan.

She had to stifle her laugh as he visibly shook from just hearing her voice like that.

It made her feel powerful despite clearly being the submissive one in their current situation.

To know that she could make him feel all these emotions and just go crazy and borderline uninhibited was something she could get used to.

Deciding to step it up, Noctis begins to let his hands wander about.

He ran his hands up and down Luna’s smooth, pale legs starting from her calves up to her thighs where the leg of her beige shorts stopped half-way up her thighs.

“You know how bad it gets me when you’re in shorts or tank-tops?”

“No but do enlighten me. I wish to know just how badly it’s affected you.”

He responds quickly and begins sucking on the supple flesh of her neck, causing her to gasp audibly and holding onto his back and hair tightly.

Luna could feel the makings of a hickey forming on the patch of skin Noctis was focusing on, releasing it with a pop and admiring his work.

“That’s not all you sexy little minx.” he growled lowly, pressing his growing erection against her crotch.

Even through their clothing she could feel just how hard with desire her husband had gotten.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he propped himself up to lean over her.

“How come I’ve never seen this side of you before? Even back then you’ve never been this...” she stopped to think of an appropriate adjective but was cut off before she could even come up with one.

Noctis had given her a playful but firm thrust, an audible gasp and moan escaping her lips.

“Assertive.” she groaned.

Deciding not to let him have all the fun, she rolls her hips against his and pulls the front of his shirt down so she could capture his lips in a heated kiss.

She repeated the same motions as he had done to her earlier; casually slipping her tongue into his mouth whilst letting her hands slip underneath his shirt to feel the warmth of his skin underneath her palm.

It was his turn to grunt and groan in pleasure as both began to grind into the other.

Noctis allowed himself to sink down onto her body slowly so as to make sure he didn’t crush her with his weight given the awkward angle they were in.

He hovered his hands over the curve of her waist before gripping the hem of her tank-top and slowly sliding it upwards.

Her heart was racing as she moaned for him, enjoying the feel of his hardness pressing intently against her with every thrust.

She was getting quite aroused and already felt her underwear start to get wet. Her core was burning with a need to release.

Pulling away only to allow him to pull her top over her head and leaving her upper body in just a bra, she pulls him down again and resumes their heated kiss.

Noctis caught himself, more prepared and made sure to lead the pace this time.

He could feel the throbbing pain within in pants as he continued to press into her.

Noctis couldn’t form coherent thoughts, much less words as he ravished her as much as he could, kneading her chest with as much vigor as his kiss.

Luna herself was feeling the steady build up of pleasure within her. It had been a long while since she had been able to feel anything close to this.

They were getting sweaty. It was humid and their actions only added more to it but neither cared.

Noctis pulled away once more and haphazardly threw his shirt aside, pressing his skin against hers while holding her close.

He put his entire focus on making her climax while holding his own back.

“Let’s...” breathed out, trying to keep pace with her lover, “get these off you.”

Luna swiftly undid his belt and pants, pushing them down with her hands and legs and allowing Noctis some more room to move as well as feel.

It took everything he had to keep himself from taking her this instant but he held back. They would get to it eventually.

He felt that Luna was not yet ready to go that far, not when they had just started all over again.

Her face flushed from the mixture of heat as well as all the pleasurable sensations bombarding her body.

The outline of his member was clear and vivid against his tented boxers.

Luna couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed him off her and had him lie down on the carpeted floor.

She slid her shorts down and sat down his lap, sliding backwards teasingly until she could move back and forth over his bulge.

He dug his fingers into her flesh, holding her firmly by her hips. It felt divine and he couldn’t see himself lasting much longer.

Her moaning was getting louder and louder now, her pale body convulsing as waves of pleasure continued to assault her.

“Noctis, just a bit more!”

To hear her voice so strained with pleasure and laced with such desire had him shaking too. She sounded so erotic.

His wife, the picture of a pure and innocent woman was bucking wildly on him, searching for a much needed release that he was all too happy to give her.

A moment passes and she ceases all movement.

Luna throws her head back and lets out the loudest groan she had yet to make. He could feel her release against him, her underwear dampening further.

Waiting for her to come down from her high, he lightly guides her back to her shaky feet before bending her over the couch.

He was so close.

He slides his bulge against the crevice of her bottom, holding each cheek in his hand and kneading the plump flesh.

Luna was still very sensitive from her orgasm, holding tightly onto the cushion.

It didn’t take very long for him to catch up. After a few, deep and sensual thrusts, he pulls his manhood out and stroked himself to ecstasy.

His essence pumps out in heavy loads, landing on her underwear and back as he grunted, eyes closed tightly in bliss.

Luna is surprised. This was certainly something new to them. They had never finished each other off in such a manner before. It was exhilarating.

To feel his semen stick to her skin like this, warm and thick felt absolutely amorous.

She didn’t feel like an absolute slut having let Noctis do this and have his way with her; rather she was happy and content.

He had needed this and to a certain extent, so did she. Both their orgasms had been explosive.

Months of pent up desire all let loose in a few minutes of passion. It felt absolutely liberating, like a huge load had just been thrown off their shoulders.

She looked back to see him sitting flat on his ass, breathing hard from the intense orgasm.

Not bothering to wipe up the mess he left on her back and underwear, she steadies herself and sits down next to him.

“I hope you’re not thinking that you’ve sullied me or anything along that line of thought.” she mumbles tiredly.

“Not at all and it’s because you reassure me every step of the way.”

The settle into a comfortable silence, still recovering from their fun.

“Can I just say though,” he began, looking over to her trying to fix her bra back properly on her breasts, “You’re still a ten out of ten Luna. Damn hot.”

“Did you assume I would’ve degraded so soon? I take care of my figure, unlike you with all the junk that you eat.”

There was a change between them although quite small. Noctis felt emancipated.

Like Luna, he felt lighter and happier.

So it was true. Sex was quite an integral part of a healthy and working relationship.

Though they had not made love yet, he felt connected with her once more and trying something new as they had provided a level of excitement that neither have experienced in a long while.

Noctis stares at his beautiful wife, skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat just like how it was on their honeymoon night.

Luna caught him admiring her and smiled, her eyes glancing downward at his still throbbing member, messy from his release.

She bit her lip provocatively and this did not go unnoticed by Noctis who smirked back at her.

“Thinking of something?”

“Oh nothing much, I’ve just forgotten how long it was since I’ve properly given you head and vice versa.” she whispered, crawling up to him and taking his manhood in her hand.

Using the residue as a lubricant, she stroked him up and down and leaned in close.

“We’ve got the rest of today Noctis. Shall we continue exploring each other?”

A shiver ran down his spine. He had never seen Luna act so lascivious. It was a side he didn’t know he was looking for in her.

Hooking his fingers in the waistband of her soiled panties, he slides them down the curve of her butt and licks her ear.

“Gladly. I’m thinking we make this a regular thing since we’re both so stressed from our work.” he breathed out." he moaned, feeling her squeeze him lightly.

“I don’t think I’ll be too tired for that. Sounds like an amazing idea.” she replied before steadily moving down onto him and capturing his throbbing manhood between her lips.

* * *

 

It was well into the evening now, half past seven to be precise and the married couple had been at it non-stop since they began that afternoon.

They had done just about everything other than actually have sex but this was more than enough to make Noctis and Luna happy.

Such a huge barrier had been broken down and the tension in the air from the past weeks had all but evaporated.

They lay side by side on their bed, staring at the ceiling as the clear night sky striking a tranquil image from outside the glass doors leading to the balcony.

The sprawling city of Insomnia shone like a gigantic beacon and much like its name, it never slept.

Luna had the sheets clutched around her, feeling cold due to her lacking any sort of clothing at all. At some point, even their underwear had gone and they were both completely bare.

“I feel like I could run around the block for days. Everything just feels so light and amazing.” he marveled at the therapeutic after-effects of having his hormones leveled out after hours of trying out new things and just being sexually comfortable around the other again.

“Maybe I’m not as energetic as you but I’m quite happy and satisfied.” she commented, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. “Our honeymoon was special but I feel that somehow, this holds so much more meaning and emotion to us, don’t you think so?” she added.

Noctis followed her movements and held her naked body close, planting kisses on her shoulders.

“I can see why you would think that babe.” he whispers, his hot breath ghosting on her skin.

Placing her hands on top of his, she closes her eyes and leans back. “Gunning for another round or are you just feeling cuddly?”

“Maybe a bit of both but I don’t want to tire you out. Besides, we still haven’t eaten and after all the exercise we’ve gotten, aren’t you the least bit hungry?”

She stopped herself from making a dirty comment, seeing the reason in his words. She nods and disentangles herself from him, pulling on a pair of sweats and a shirt on her person from their closet with Noctis following her lead and dressing back up as well.

Things had settled back down after all the intensity from earlier on and the couple found themselves acting very normal.

This was how it should be and Noctis could not be any happier.

They were whole again.

“Just a bit more.” he said, more to himself than to Luna who was already dialing up the local pizzeria.

“What was that honey?” she called out to him while waiting for the line to pick up.

“I was just saying how great this all is and how far we’ve come. I wasn’t kidding when I said I felt light as a feather.”

She twirled the wire around her and smiled, nodding her head in recognition before talking to the person on the other end.

With their current problems behind them, she was confident that things would come much easier. It wouldn’t be long now and these two weeks without a session suddenly seemed much more exciting.

It was something she was looking forward to now instead of dreading.

Even without Dr. Reseda’s guidance, she felt like they would be alright, possibly breaking down even more walls in the process.

How wonderful it was to fall in love all over again without any hesitations or worries whatsoever.

The end was still a ways to go though but not as far as she thought it would be. She could definitely see their destination in the horizon.

Things couldn’t get any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried my best and I don't know if it comes across as awkward or unnatural.
> 
> Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Not long left now until this story draws to a close.


	6. Chapter 6

Dr. Reseda had a surprise waiting for his favorite patients as he and his assistant prepared a small celebration in his office.

It was Noctis and Luna’s twelfth and final session today.

What better way to congratulate the rehabilitated couple than with a small party before closing their counseling up with foundation building for the future?

He had bought a simple spread consisting of a small cake, chicken and pasta.

His assistant then played festive music from his office speakers before taking her portion of the meal and heading back to the front desk.

Just in time, the couple had arrived with bright smiles on their faces whilst carrying a delicately wrapped gift presumably for the good doctor.

“Ah! Mr. and Mrs. Caelum! Welcome to your twelfth and final session! Allow me to extend my warmest regards and congratulate the both of you for a job well done!” he exclaimed, taking both of his patients into a friendly hug.

“It’s all thanks your help Dr. Reseda. We probably would be on the dregs of our marriage and on our way to divorce by now had we not sought out your services.” Noctis thanked him and looked over at the spread of food on the table.

“I am merely a guide. Most of the credit belongs to the both of you. Change comes from oneself and you two have displayed the mental and emotional strength to overcome such difficulty together.” he shrugged it off before noticing the couple looking a the food.

“Ah yes, I’ve prepared a small party if you will before we close up your therapy program. This is on me, please help yourselves.” he added, ushering Noctis and Luna to the couch and handing them paper plates and disposable utensils.

“We also got you a little something as a token of appreciation Dr. Reseda. We hope you like it.” Luna told the doctor as she handed him the small gift wrapped box.

“This wasn’t at all necessary but please accept my thanks for the wonderful gesture.” he laughed, placing the gift on his desk before returning to them and making small talk as they ate.

Once the food had been all been finished and the table cleaned up, it was back to their regular programming.

“Remember when I had the both of you fill out a worksheet at the very start of our sessions?”

Noctis was guilty of forgetting about said worksheet but Luna vouched for him and nodded her head.

“Yes and if I recall correctly, we were supposed to fill out the same sheet again now in our final session.”

“Spot on Mrs. Caelum. Our first order for today is having the both of you answer the same sheet before we compare each side to side and see what has changed over the course of twelve sessions spanning no less than three months of hard work and growing pains.” he stated.

He slid over two blank questionnaires and pencils to the couple before placing the worksheets they had accomplished in their first session face down.

“Take your time and answer truthfully.” he concluded as he waited patiently for his patients to accomplish their task.

It didn’t take as long as he was expecting, a grand total of five minutes, probably less. It would seem the couple knew their answers to heart and came prepared for this.

He couldn’t fault them for being this enthusiastic though and he was very happy with how these two turned out.

“Alright then class, please pass your papers forward and we’ll grade them.” he joked as they all shared a laugh.

He skimmed through their answers and compared them with their first worksheet and couldn’t help but smile in pride.

“I will give each of you both of your partner’s worksheets so that you may see their answers from before and after treatment. Make of that as you will but if I may add my two cents, they came out fantastic.”

He hands Luna her husband’s sheets and does the same for Noctis, gauging their expressions while they read.

Noctis looked down at the varying answers he had written down and yet somehow they had always stayed the same; unflinching and unchanging despite the turbulent emotions he had been experiencing.

He gripped each sheet in his fingers carefully, going back and forth as he marveled how fast things had turned around in terms of his thoughts and mental process regarding his marriage and personal relationship with his wife of ten years.

From a hesitant optimistic that hoped for the best to a confident husband who was sure of his partner’s feelings and had no room for doubt; it was a massive u-turn.

So full of admiration and awe he was that he found his hands shaking lightly.

He would laugh and scoff at himself, putting careful thought and reflection as he saw the progress he had made not only for their marriage but for himself as well.

Noctis could say that he was a better person overall. Doing these sessions as well as regularly doing exercises with Luna among other things had definitely put a more positive spin to his mindset.

He was more open about his emotions, much more caring and loving.

He put all of this past him now and placed his worksheets back on the table with a satisfied smile.

On the other side of the couch, Luna was a sobbing mess.

She was so thrilled to see how much she had changed and improved in her own eyes.

Her answers had been vague, despondent and very nonchalant to the point that it gave her chills. Comparing it to how warm, receptive and full of life her current statements were, it shook her to the core.

She felt partially ashamed that she would even begin to think like that about her husband before.

Luna felt blessed to have been able to avoid going further down that path and was now happily back to how they were before though if you were to ask her if she would rather not have gone through this ordeal with Noctis she would have to say no.

Painful though it had been, it was how they had come together much stronger than before. The altercations, bickering and heartache had served to strengthen their bond and love for the other.

She wouldn’t trade all the mistakes and lost opportunities for anything else.

She had her regrets but it was what made her who she was now: reformed and ready to give her all not just to her passion for her work but to her relationship with Noctis as well.

Luna gratefully accepted the handkerchief Noctis had brought along.

He’d expected this and it warmed her heart that he was prepared to help her in any way possible no matter how small.

She dabbed the cloth on her eyes and blew on it for good measure so as to make sure she was at least presentable.

It was a good thing she wore little to no make-up today.

“I assume nothing but positive and fulfilling thoughts from comparing your answers then?” he asked with a small smile, watching the small but tender exchange before gather all four sheets of papers and sliding them into their folder.

“Yes, very much so. It’s quite uplifting and inspiring actually to look back at how much we’ve changed not just in our relationship but pertaining to our own person as well.” she breathed out.

“That is a very beautiful observation, one I’m sure your husband shares with you.” he gestured over to Noctis who wrapped an arm around her and squeezed gently.

“With that, I can safely conclude that you’ve made a full recovery. We’ve established some solid groundwork. Things are fine as they are now but we want to make sure we avoid a repeat don’t we?” he explained.

“We can safely put the past behind us and it is now time to plan for the future. It’s time we set goals for the both of you; aspirations and dreams to fulfill. A couple is formed by two individuals who share their lives together for better or for worse and their relationship will only get stronger once we build upon the framework we’ve already worked so hard to achieve. We don’t want it to topple over so easily so let us work on this now.” he finished.

Noctis and Luna separated from their close proximity and gave Dr. Reseda their full attention. This was equally as important, if not more than their journey to recovery.

“We’ll go through each and every aspect of your lives as a married couple one by one and determine what kind of future the both of you see yourselves having for each facet.” he began as he leaned forward.

“First we’ll discuss the topic of family in regards to having a child or children. Have either of you wished to care for and raise a child of your own? Do you think you could see it happening in your futures?”

The answer was easy. It was both their dreams to have a family together one day but neither could place a definite time as to when they would want to start one.

Noctis and Luna had been so focused on their own careers that they continued to put it off for the longest time but now that it was being brought up and made their focus, they had to address it.

“Yes, we’ve thought about raising children actually and agreed that two would be the perfect number to have.” she answered.

“We don’t have a concrete time table as to when we would actually want to have a family of our own but we can definitely see it happening in our futures.”Noctis added.

Dr. Reseda pondered for a bit before continuing.

“While it is good that the both of you are in agreement and can see this happening in your lifetime, it is prudent to have at least an idea of when things should happen so that the both of you can be better prepared for when you do want to start.”

He brought out his trusty notepad and began to jot down words before showing it to the couple.

He had written down ‘Future Plans’ at the very top followed by ‘Family’ with a blank bullet indented below it.

“We can safely put here that the both of you want two children,” he stops to write it down for the couple to see before looking up at them again, “Now we have to fill out a rough estimate. It could be in two years maybe three? The both of you are not getting any younger and the older you get, the riskier a pregnancy becomes.”

Luna agreed with that, having been a witness to a few complicated pregnancies that were almost directly correlated with the relatively late age of the mother giving birth.

Then there was the matter of the rate of fertility declining rapidly as soon as you hit a certain mark.

She was sure that Dr. Reseda did not mean to rush them into anything but he had a valid point in bringing this up for them.

“Ideally within the next two years if I’m being quite honest Dr. Reseda. By then we would’ve been at a more comfortable level to actually try.” Noctis decided, earning him a look of surprise from his wife.

Not that she minded that he had suddenly given an answer without consulting her first but the look he gives her right after allays all her worries and fears and she calms down.

“If the two of you are in agreement on this then let’s pen this down.” Dr. Reseda said.

Noctis and Luna have a hushed conversation while their therapist was busy.

“I’m sorry I blurted that response out but it wasn’t without any thought Luna. I promise you, we can make it work.”

“I believe in you Noctis, you just caught me entirely off guard. A warning would be more appreciated next time but I’ll let this one slide.”

He smiled and placed a kiss on her brow to thank her and silently promised to let her answer the next question.

“With the inclusion of one or two possible children, I think we can all agree that living in a condominium isn’t conducive for proper growth among other things. It will be difficult for the both of you so the next question I am going to ask of you is this: When do you see yourselves moving into a house of your own?”

It was a very reasonable question to follow-up the first one.

Noctis looked over to Luna for any sort of hints.

She seemed to have an answer ready but looked back at Noctis as if to ask for permission.

“Whatever answer you come up with here, I’ll support.”

That was all she needed.

Luna turned to face Dr. Reseda and cleared her throat.

“I’ve been meaning to start looking for a house for a while now but haven’t found the time or opportunity. I want Noctis to be there with me when we go house hunting. The condominium is very nice and of sound quality but I agree with you doctor: we need to move into a proper house if we wish to raise a family together.” she explained.

“Well now, the both of you seem to have answers for your future already!” he joked before taking down what Luna had just told him.

“So you mean to start as soon as possible or do you envision it happening within the year?”

“Ideally within the year but realistically, it’s more likely to happen next year considering our careers and finances.” she replied.

“This is actually the perfect segway,” Dr. Reseda pointed out as he finished another bullet point, “Considering what you told me about careers and financial capabilities: Do you see yourself progressing in your current careers and placements? If not then what line of work do you see yourself migrating to?”

For the first time since he started questioning them, the couple seemed stumped or rather, hesitant to answer.

It would seem that Noctis and Luna have at some point discussed this topic and have either not come up with a definite answer or have confessed to being unsettled at their respective jobs.

It was bound to happen of course, not everyone is going to have their life planned out in front of them much less have these sort of expectations in their head.

“I’ll be completely honest and say this as blunt as I can. My current placement does not offer me any sort of career growth.” he confessed and leaning on his hands.

“My manager does not seem to favor me at all despite my adequate performance at work. Definitely not with the way he berates me for the smallest mistakes.” he scoffs out, clearly frustrated and triggered by just the simple thought.

“That is quite unfortunate and I’m sorry you’re going through less than ideal conditions at your work place. Have you an idea as to where you wish to pursue the next step in your career?”

Pondering for a few seconds, he ran his fingers through his hair and blew on his bangs.

Luna looked on in concern, unsettled by the fact that she could offer no help to her husband for this particular problem.

The hospital had no room for a financial consultant so she couldn’t very well offer him a non-existent position.

“Putting things into perspective, I may want to hand in my resignation after I have found a suitable work place to apply to. I would not want to burden Luna by being unemployed for an indefinite period whilst I look for a new job.” he mused.

“Prudent choice but I would suggest that you resolve this quickly. Having these thoughts on your mind will not help your performance in your current job and might hamper your ability to find a new one should you be let off.” Dr. Reseda warned him.

Noctis nodded as he took his advice. He would make sure to find one as soon as possible.

“Now what about you Mrs. Caelum? Do you think your career is on the right track at the hospital?” he asked, turning to Luna.

“I am satisfied with my current position at the hospital a head nurse of the ICU, however...” she trailed off, looking over at the notepad filled with future plans for the both of them.

“If we are to continue planning for our future family, I think it would be best if I take a step back and cut down some of my responsibilities in favor of having more time at home. I’ve learned a valuable lesson from these past few months.” she continued, earning herself a proud smile from Dr. Reseda.

Noctis though didn’t seem too on board with it.

He knew Luna loved her job. It meant a lot to her but at the same time, he was happy that she was taking steps and taking note of what they had been fighting over for the longest time.

He felt conflicted and did not know whether or not she even had to make this sacrifice for the sake of making the both of them happy.

It felt bittersweet.

“Is everything alright Mr. Caelum?” Dr. Reseda inquired upon seeing the absent look on Noctis’ face.

“Yeah, I’m just surprised,” he mumbles, turning his attention to Luna, “Are you sure you need to do this? I’m happy that you’re changing for the sake of our marriage and future but I know that this has been your life long dream; to help people. I don’t want to take that away from you.”

The worried crease on his forehead only scrunched up further as he took Luna’s hand in both of his.

“Have you really thought about this?”

She removes her hand from between his hands and pat the top in a reassuring way.

“I have Noctis. I’m not entirely stepping down as a nurse, merely reducing my responsibilities is all. There is no need to fear for my career as well. I can easily just as well work my best to be reassigned to a different department with hopefully less strenuous conditions as compared to the ICU and the Emergency Room. Perhaps I could return to the Pediatrician Ward and assume greater responsibilities there compared to my first tenure.” she smiled.

“You’re amazing at this you know that?” he commented before pulling away after having been convinced and reassured adequately that this was a decision she did not make lightly in favor of one or the other.

“Perfectly stated Mrs. Caelum. I do appreciate that the both of you have taken this much initiative without even needing prompting from me. It just goes to show how much the both of you are willing to progress together as a couple.” he finished as he wrote the final bullet point with a flourish and handing the small sheet over to them.

He breathes out a sigh of relief and reclines on his armchair with a smile on his face.

“And with that, our sessions come to a close. It was one hell of a journey you two but I cannot stress just how happy and proud I am that you both turned out alright. Every marriage saved is very important to me not just as a professional but as an individual. Love is such a beautiful thing to let it wither and die out without ever trying to fight to preserve it. Thank you for believing and placing your trust in me as well as yourselves.”

With that, Dr. Reseda stands up and moves to shake hands with the couple who have grown so much under his care but was instead met with hugs from both of them.

“We can’t thank you enough, we’ll keep all your advice in mind.” Noctis said, clapping him on his shoulder.

“I’m sure you do. If you have any questions, I am just a phone call away though I’d rather not get a call unless it’s just to catch up.” he joked.

The three of them spent their remaining time just talking, bonding and having a good time before he bids them goodbye.

* * *

 

The afternoon passes by rather quick with patients coming to and fro.

Dr. Reseda had just been lounging on his armchair behind his desk, eyes closed in silent contemplation.

Or was it relaxation?

He never knew these days. He just took things as they came and dealt with each problem and situation accordingly.

He ran a hand over his face before opening his eyes and sitting back up properly, bringing his reclined seat along with him.

He eyed the small, wrapped present at the edge of his desk with a smile, pulling it over and deciding to open it now.

He took a letter opener and gingerly cut the wrapping paper to reveal a thick, leather bound journal or notebook.

He shook his head and opened it on the first page to find that the couple who had given it to him had a parting message.

  


_To Doctor Reseda_

 

_We hope this simple gift helps you in your continuous journey with helping those who need it the most._

_May these pages turn a different couple’s life around just as you have ours, preparing them for a new and brighter chapter in their lives._

 

_Much thanks,_

_Noctis and Lunafreya Caelum_

  


Dr. Reseda flipped through the clean, line-less pages and smiled, feeling content and accomplished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With that comes a beautiful end to a long journey full of struggles and hardships but I can safely say that it is a happy ending, even fro Dr. Reseda.
> 
> Stay tuned for a small tidbit after this chapter detailing Noctis and Luna's live after therapy!
> 
> I want to take this time to thank each and every one of you who have stuck with this story and read it, it means so much to me as a writer to know that the readers enjoy the words that I churn out from my tired mind.


	7. Epilogue

Luna watched on from their patio as Noctis fastened the swing set securely onto the massive tree in their backyard.

She laughed and admired how her husband who was quite averse to anything related to physical activity and yet she had just witnessed him clamber up the tree like a monkey, falling over several times in the process.

Her heart warmed and swelled in her chest, seeing just how much he’s been so accommodating to changing and bettering himself even more for the kids.

Those little monsters had him whipped and under their tiny fingers that’s for certain.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked her, taking the seat next to her and pouring himself a glass of water from the pitcher.

“Just reminiscing and looking back on our lives.”

“You know you sound old when you say it like that.” he laughed.

That earned him a good smack on the shoulder before she laughed along with him.

Silence takes over as Noctis takes a towel and wipes the sweat from his brow.

Luna’s eyes scanned over their backyard garden.

Along with the new swing set was a little playground as well as an inflated mini-pool without water in it.

“I swear, you spoil Spero and Clara too much. Look at all of these. They simply won’t know what to do with themselves once they come home from school.” she breathes out with mild concern.

She was in no way a restrictive parent but she knew enough not to enable their children too much.

Noctis meanwhile was just very happy if his family was happy and that included spoiling his babies and making them laugh as much as possible.

“Relax honey, it’s summer vacation! The kids deserve it, they’ve been doing so well with their grades and after-school activities. Don’t you think that warrants a reward?” he waves her concern away, wrapping an arm around her chair.

“Isn’t that what our trip to ChocoMog Festival is for next month?” she leered at him, eyebrow raised.

He shrugged his shoulders and pulled her in, kissing the top of her head. “Relax you worrywart. Let them enjoy all that they can.”

She nuzzles her face against his neck and closes her eyes, allowing Noctis this small victory.

They listen quietly to the sounds of a peaceful afternoon, enjoying each other’s presence before the inevitable chaos that was their children.

The familiar horn of their school bus blares at their front yard, signaling their safe return from school.

Noctis and Luna stand up to greet their kids and show them their surprise, leaving a tranquil backyard, full of love, happiness and a wholesone future not just for the married couple but for their children as well.

Not a single bump on the road in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spero - "Hope" in Latin  
> Clara - "Bright" in Latin
> 
> I want to thank each and every one of you who took their time and read and enjoyed this story. I feel I've grown a bit after tackling my first conflict resolution type story.
> 
> While updates may be slow because of work, I will continue trying to deliver other stories, some shorter and some multi-chaptered stuff too!

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to try my hand with a conflict resolution fic involving our favorite royals.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and please leave a comment if you have any suggestions that may help me with future chapters!
> 
> *Reseda in latin means healing


End file.
